Justify '100 percent,' back on track for Preakness 2018 training

It was a skin irritation, and then a bruised heel, and then a cracked heel, connections said Thursday morning, that Justify has dealt with since winning the Kentucky Derby.

But the colt’s assistant trainer, Jimmy Barnes, emphasized that Justify returned to the track at Churchill Downs not because of a condensed timeline to the 2018 Preakness Stakes. Rather, it was because the horse was ready.

“He was getting a little pushy in the stall, and you could just tell it was time for him to get back out there,” Barnes said after Justify galloped an easy 1.5 miles under the Twin Spires.

“Each day we got better. We were 100 percent. No reason to hold my breath.”

While that’s not likely to end the conjecture leading into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness remains a go for Justify, a son of Scat Daddy who’s unbeaten in his four starts. 

On a media teleconference later Thursday, Baffert said he was thinking of sending Justify back to the track Wednesday. But he wanted the horse adequately rested and over his heel issue.

"We're on to Baltimore," Baffert said. "Jimmy was very excited and happy with him. We've been happy with him all week."

During the wettest Kentucky Derby day on record, Justify pushed pace setter Promises Fulfilled through opening fractions of a quarter mile in 22.24 seconds, with the half in 45.77. While he didn’t finish up particularly fast with a final time of 2:04.20, by then he’d already run the rest of the field off its collective feet.

“The good ones seem to come up with little issues now and then,” Barnes said. “Other ones that don’t put out that much, they usually don’t show signs of anything. The track — it was very wet that day, and he had to run fast and far. These things, you have to deal with, and we’re ready to move on to Baltimore.”

Elliott Walden, whose WinStar Farm campaigns Justify in partnership with other owners, said the skin and heel issues “are typical” for the colt, and that the surface Saturday played a role in them flaring up.

“It took some time to figure out what was going on,” Walden said adding of trainer Bob Baffert, “and that’s being a good horseman, trying to evaluate the thing.”

Justify isn’t scheduled for a timed workout between races, but Baffert will be in town early next week to watch him train ahead of the May 19 Preakness.