Video: Justify has 'very good morning' in Belmont 2018 training

Triple Crown hopeful Justify continued his training Friday morning at Churchill Downs with a 1 1/2-mile gallop under exercise rider Humerto Gomez in preparation for the 2018 Belmont Stakes.

“It was a very good morning,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s chief assistant, Jimmy Barnes. “We did exactly what Bob wanted us to do. He galloped a little bit further today but he told us, once again, to take it easy with him. It’s nice to gallop out there all alone. We wanted him to go an easy pace and he was able to do so without any traffic.”

Also training Friday during the exclusive window from 7:30-7:40 a.m. ET for horses preparing for the Belmont Stakes were Preakness runner-up Bravazo, who galloped 1 1/2 miles with exercise rider Danielle Rosier aboard for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, and Preakness third Tenfold, who galloped about 1 1/2 miles with Angel Garcia for fellow Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen.

“We can’t just let Justify have it,” Lukas joked after watching Bravazo inch closer to Justify during their gallops. “(Bravazo) bounced out of the Preakness in great shape. Justify is the real deal but my horse is very talented as well. I don’t think there is any issue with him going 1 1/2 miles. It’s a test to every horse in the race because no one has done that before.”

Baffert is expected to be at Churchill Downs later this weekend or early next week, according to Barnes. Justify is scheduled to fly to Belmont from Louisville on Wednesday, June 6.

Only 12 horses have swept the Triple Crown: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937),Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978) and American Pharoah (2015).