Team Justify soaks in Triple Crown, to talk next race soon

A week after becoming racing’s 13th Triple Crown winner, Justify took a route only once before traveled by the Bob Baffert barn. On Saturday evening, his assistant trainer, Jimmy Barnes, groom Eduardo Luna and exercise rider Humberto Gomez walked the colt through a parade in front of thousands of fans during Churchill’s “Downs After Dark” race card.

Onlookers shouted thank yous. They cheered as he circled the paddock. Cell service was at a premium.

Justify, unbeaten on the track, handled what would normally be a stressful evening for a horse with ease.

“I can’t believe tonight,” the Hall of Fame trainer Baffert said. “He came in here — he’s ready to go again. He’s tough. He’s like Muhammad Ali. He’s ready to rumble.”

So, when may he do that again?

Baffert said he, WinStar Farm owner Kenny Troutt and Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president and CEO, will meet soon to discuss the topic. No specific races were mentioned Saturday night aside from the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which also runs under the Twin Spires in November.

“It would be great to bring him back and do that, but it’s still a long ways off,” said Baffert, who completed the first of what’s now known as racing’s Grand Slam — a Triple Crown and Classic — with American Pharoah in 2015.

Justify has returned to training since winning the Belmont Stakes and returns to Baffert’s Santa Anita Park base on Sunday. There, the trainer said, “We’ll just sit on him for a few weeks a decide what we’re going to do.”

Jockey Smith was on hand with other connections, who received their engraved Kentucky Derby trophies in a winner’s circle ceremony.

“I could probably jump right now and just float in the air,” he said of the Triple Crown feeling.

“If you want my opinion, he should,” Smith said of racing Justify again — with a smile, of course. “I’d like to ride him a few more times. That would be amazing. He’s already done more than you need to do, but for the fans in racing, as long as he’s happy and healthy, why not?

“And he looks wonderful.”

Baffert talked pros and cons of running Justify again before he heads to stud.

“The upside is, the party continues,” he said. “The fans get to see him race. It’s nothing about the monetary part of it. The downside is the horse getting beat, something happening to him. It’s a lot of pressure, especially with his value.”

“It’s a funny game. You just never know. Thing can happen. If you see him in a race, that means he is on his game.”