WinStar's Walden speaks on Audible's Belmont 2018 dilemma

On hand to watch Triple Crown hopeful Justify return to training Thursday morning at Churchill Downs, WinStar president and CEO Elliott Walden addressed the elephant in the room.

Justify has identical ownership to Audible, the Florida Derby winner who was third in the Derby by a nose to Good Magic. Both Justify and Audible are owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club International, with the Louisville-based Starlight Racing partnership and Head of Plains Partners subsequently buying minority shares in their racing but not breeding careers. Audible is trained by two-time Belmont Stakes winner Todd Pletcher, and the ownership is facing a tough decision as to whether that colt also runs in the Triple Crown finale.

In the past, Pletcher has had his horses skip the Preakness to concentrate on the Belmont Stakes at his home track. That history has prompted questions as to the direction WinStar will choose, as Audible's entry could potentially knock their own horse out of the Triple Crown.

"I'm going up to watch [Audible] work, then we'll sit down with Todd and probably have a decision next week," said Walden, who in 1998 trained Victory Gallop, the nose winner in the Belmont Stakes over the Baffert-trained Triple Crown aspirant Real Quiet.

"I think he'd [Audible] be big competition," Walden added. "But I think it's Justify's race to lose."

Arkansas Derby runner-up Quip, trained by Rodolphe Brisset and whose owners include WinStar and China Horse Club, ran in the Preakness, albeit finishing last. Going into the Preakness, Walden said that if Justify is to win the Triple Crown, he would need to beat all comers, including Quip. But he acknowledged Thursday, "It's different when you've won two out of the three rather than one out of the three. But at the same time, I do feel like you cannot manufacture a Triple Crown; that it's either going to happen or it's not. So, we'll see."

As Justify galloped by, Walden said, "The horse looks good though, doesn't he? His energy level the day after was incredible. He wasn't in the back of the stall hanging his head. He was out front."

Jimmy Barnes, Baffert's chief assistant who is overseeing Justify's training on the road, accompanied the heavy Belmont Stakes favorite to the track while on his pony, Sunny.

"He had a good bounce in his step," Barnes said. "Very happy. We just took it easy with him out there, went about a mile and three-eighths. Bob just said give him a nice, easy first-day back gallop, which we did. He seemed to really enjoy it.