Justify lines up shot at Triple Crown with Preakness Stakes success

Under jockey Mike Smith, the three year old Kentucky Derby winner defied atrocious conditions in the 143th running of the historic race to deny the fast-finishing Bravazo in second following a lengthy battle with Derby runner-up Good Magic.

It means a nervous wait until next month’s Belmont Stakes in New York for Baffert’s colt to potentially secure a place in US horse racing history.

Drawn in stall seven and sent off as clear favourite for the race following his impressive performance in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Justify and Smith immediately made a move for the lead, but were soon joined by Jose Ortiz on Good Magic, who secured the rail side. With visibility poor due to the dense fog and the red dirt track churned up by monsoon-like conditions, those two were neck and neck with each other turning into and out of the back stretch.

Turning for home Smith asked for more from Justify in a bid to separate himself from the tussle. Justify responded powerfully with the least amount of effort, and despite Good Magic rallying and fighting his way back to within touching distance of the lead, he was unable to peg back the winner who won by half a length. Good Magic’s misery was compounded by being overtaken by Bravazo and the outsider Tenfold to lose out on the places.

In winning, Justify maintained Baffert’s 100 per cent record in the race when sending his Kentucky Derby winners, the trainer having landed the double in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2015.

The Hall of Fame trainer has sent three contenders to Belmont in a bid for Triple Crown glory and missed out before finally making history with American Pharoah in 2015.

Speaking after Justify’s victory, he said: “That was a nail-biter! Good Magic really put it to us – it’s like they had their own private match race.

“Justify is such a great horse to handle all the pressure, he really had to work for it but he has the talent. I’ve never had one run that fast here.”

His jockey Smith, who first won the Maryland Classic in 1993, said: “That was unbelievable, it’s a dream come true. It’s 23 years since my first one – I’m on cloud nine.”

Baffert, Smith and Justify now have only three weeks to recover from this success in Maryland and prepare for lining up in the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, on Saturday 9 June.