Watch: Justify sizzles in ‘really nice’ Belmont 2018 workout
As Justify walked to the track Tuesday to do his first serious bit of running since winning the Preakness Stakes, naturally, the skies opened. But rains didn’t dampen the surface enough to prevent the Triple Crown hopeful from working over fast dirt.
Or, at least, he made it look fast.
In the first of two breezes ahead of the 2018 Belmont Stakes, Justify sizzled through a half mile in 46.80 seconds before galloping out 5/8 in 59.60 at Churchill Downs.
“It went really well,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who flew in jockey Martin Garcia for the work. “I was worried about the rain and the weather. I would say the track man did an outstanding job having it ready for us. It had some bounce to it. He just went around there really nice.”
Garcia, of course, three years ago drilled American Pharoah between the second and third legs of the Triple Crown series, also at Churchill. This change of seasons from spring to summer has felt all too familiar for racing fans — and Baffert, too.
“He stopped, took a deep breath, turned around and nothing,” the Hall of Famer said of Justfy. “He was happy when he turned around. That’s what you want to see. You want to see that kind of work. I was hoping for that kind of work. It’s like American Pharoah — he came back here and looked like that.
“I wish the race was this week. We’ve got another week to go, but I think we’re in great shape. I feel pretty strong that he’s not going backwards on us. He’s moving forward. You can see his weight — he’s held his weight, and he’s just a big, massive horse.”
Splits for the work were 12 seconds, 23.60 and 35.20 — mind you, for what Baffert termed a “little breeze” coming into it.
“That was a little breeze,” he confirmed. “But he’s a great horse. He was in hand. I knew yesterday the way he was, I could tell he was ready to do something. He was anxious.”
Restoring Hope, Baffert’s second Belmont contender, worked about an hour before Justify, getting seven furlongs in 1:26 while going out a mile in 1:40.20.
Baffert was scheduled to return to his California base later Tuesday, putting Justify back in the full-time care of his top assistant, Jimmy Barnes. The horses out West — including a newly arrived batch of 2-year-olds — are providing Baffert “a great distraction” leading up to the June 9 Belmont.
“We’re trying to find another one,” the next American Pharoah Justify, he said.
There are other races to look forward to as well. Baffert has Hoppertunity ticketed for the Brooklyn Invitational (G2) going a mile and a half on the Belmont undercard, while he confirmed 2017 Kentucky Oaks winner Abel Tasman remains on track for the Ogden Phipps (G1) that same day.