Video: Justify arrives home to Santa Anita Park; Baffert speaks

Photo: Nancy Wilkinson/HRN

The Champ is back!

Bob Baffert’s undefeated Triple Crown winner, Justify, returned home to Santa Anita Park on Sunday afternoon, stepping off a Bob Hubbard Horse Transport van at 2:36 p.m. PT.

Justify, who embarked this morning from the Louisville, KY airport at 9:37 a.m. ET and landed following a three-hour and 30-minute flight at Ontario International Airport at 1:07 p.m. PT, was escorted by four Arcadia Police Department marked units and was greeted by the Hall of Fame trainer Baffert, jockey Mike Smith, a large group of media and horsemen at Baffert’s Barn 5, which adjoins Santa Anita’s main stable gate.

The 18th Santa Anita Derby participant to win the Kentucky Derby, Justify joined Seattle Slew as the only undefeated Triple Crown Champion by winning the Belmont Stakes on June 9.

Justify will resume training at The Great Race Place this week and be paraded between races this coming Saturday, June 23.  Santa Anita will also be giving away Triple Crown posters to the first 4,000 attendees on Saturday that are with paid admission.

Justify’s regular rider Mike Smith, will be signing the Triple Crown posters on Saturday, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. near the Kingsbury Fountain, on the west end of Santa Anita’s Paddock Gardens area.

The exact time of Justify’s appearance on Saturday will be announced in the coming days.

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