Justify wins Preakness 2018 as Triple Crown bid continues

When Justify emerged from the thick Pimlico Race Course fog, he did so Saturday a front-running winner of the 2018 Preakness Stakes.

And so a bid at the Triple Crown is alive.

Two weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby, Justify moved his record to 5-for-5 with a victory at Pimlico Race Course -- again in the slop, and again with a front-running effort.

REPLAY: Watch back Justify's Preakness win

In the June 9 Belmont Stakes, he'll look to become American racing's 13th-ever Triple Crown winner, following in the footsteps of another Bob Baffert trainee, American Pharoah, who last accomplished the sweep in 2015.

But how inspiring was this Preakness performance?

"That was a nail-biter," Baffert said. "They put it to us."

Justify ran outside of Derby runner-up Good Magic through fractions of a quarter mile in 23.11 and the half in 47.19. The colt put away that rival, but toward the wire, with jockey Mike Smith appearing relaxed in the irons, longshot Bravazo (15-1) ran on for second with Tenfold (25-1) third, closing strongly on Justify.

The winning margin was a half length.

"That was a good horse," Baffert said of Good Magic. "It looked like they had their own private match race. Somebody had to give. I'm glad it wasn't us. I'm so happy we got it done. He's just a great horse to handle all that pressure and keep on running."

Baffert, who took his seventh Preakness overall, has never lost the race with any of his five Derby winners dating back to Silver Charm in 1997.

Justify ran Saturday in the colors of WinStar Farm. He's also campaigned by China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing.

"We pulled it out," Baffert said. "They ran fast. I've never had one run that fast here."

Did it take too much out of the horse?

"It took more out of me," Baffert quipped.

Since the Derby victory, Justify has overcome treatment for a skin irritation and bruised heel in his left hind leg. That didn't stop the towering chestnut son of Scat Daddy from scaring off most of the competition. He faced just seven foes in the Preakness, same as American Pharoah three years ago.

We'll see in three weeks if the similarities between the two horses continue.