Justify's win at the Preakness Stakes puts the horse in position to become the 13th Triple Crown winner in American horse racing history.
The buildup to the Belmont Stakes on June 9 will be palpable as Justify tries to become the second horse in four years to win the Triple Crown. American Pharoah broke a 36-year dry spell with his 2015 win.
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The Preakness certainly wasn't an easy race for Justify and jockey Mike Smith. Good Magic, the 7-2 second betting choice, dueled on the lead with Justify but was ultimately unable to overtake Justify in the stretch. Bravazo and Tenfold took advantage, sneaking into second and third, respectively, behind Justify. Good Magic finished fourth.
Justify's ownership group will take home $900,000 for the Preakness victory.
Smith and Bob Baffert, Justify's trainer, surely took the win in Baltimore in stride, but the race probably did more to boost the confidence of the owners of other horses. One of racing's toughest challenges awaits in New York. The 1.5-mile Belmont distance, with just three weeks' recovery time, could give Justify trouble.
BELMONT STAKES: When is the race? How can I watch it?
U.S. Racing posted the Belmont Stakes odds immediately after the Preakness results were announced. Justify was listed as the early 10/13 favorite, Audible was listed at 4/1 and Good Magic was listed at 5/1. Bravazo and Tenfold were not listed.
Horse racing is the rare sport in which the importance of an event is dependent on a previous result. The Belmont Stakes is rendered mostly irrelevant if the Derby winner can't follow it up with a win in Baltimore. This year, we'll have a Triple Crown on the line at the Belmont.