China Horse Club, WinStar Farm, Starlight Racing and Head of Plains Partners LLC's Justify (Scat Daddy) emerged from his victory in Saturday's GI Preakness S. in fine condition and will eye a bid to become racing's 13th Triple Crown winner in the GI Belmont S. June 9, trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday morning. The undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' showed no signs that a minor heel bruise he experienced when winning the GI Kentucky Derby two weeks prior had flared up, much to the relief of Baffert.
“I don't see why we wouldn't go to the Belmont as long as he stays like this,” Baffert said. “He looks good. He looks pretty bright. He ate everything…No foot issues today.”
Baffert said he was proud of his colt for withstanding a race-long challenge from champion and Derby runner-up Good Magic (Curlin), shrugging that rival off in the stretch and holding on to defeat a surging Bravazo (Awesome Again) by a half-length.
“He did something totally different yesterday,” Baffert said. “He got challenged early. Good Magic was pushing him out the whole way. He had a five-eighths run, so that's probably why he didn't have a lot of kick at the end. But Mike said he could have won by more. When he knew he had it he just coasted to the wire. When he was pulling up and the horses came to him, he takes off again. It was close, but for him, what he's done–[in his] fifth race–it's pretty incredible.”
The Hall of Fame trainer added that despite the Belmont's grueling 1 1/2-mile distance, he believes it may ultimately prove to be a less stressful race for the hulking son of Scat Daddy.
“I think the Belmont will be easier on him, the way it's set up,” said Baffert.
Good Magic also emerged from the hard-fought race no worse for the wear, according to trainer Chad Brown, who added that he would be pointed toward a summer campaign beginning with the GI Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park or the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga.
“So far, the horse looks good,” said Brown. “We put him in a difficult situation in the race and he did the best he could.”
While Brown has been on the record as saying Good Magic will not participate in the Belmont, Bravazo is likely headed to New York for a rematch with Justify in three weeks, according to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. According to Lukas, the Calumet Farm colorbearer came out of his race in good order Sunday.
“I was very, very pleased with the way he woke up this morning,” Lukas said. “He was very sharp and we made a few turns around the shedrow. He was very sharp. That part was excellent.”
With Bravazo vastly outrunning his 15-1 odds to finish second, Lukas joked that he was as pleased as possible with a second-place finish.
“If you can be satisfied with second, I am,” Lukas said. “I'm so competitive that second is not good enough in my mindset, but having said that, if you can handle second, it was a damn good one.”
Fellow Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, likewise, said he was happy with the way lightly raced Tenfold (Curlin) ran to be third, beaten just 3/4 of a length in his fourth career start. The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred could also get a crack at the Belmont.
“We are definitely considering it–I did decide to move him back to Churchill,” Asmussen said. “I want to feel as good going into the Belmont as we were coming into here, that you would fire your best shot.”
Diamond King (Quality Road), seventh in the Preakness, will make his next start in the GIII Ohio Derby June 23 or the GIII Indiana Derby July 14, according to trainer John Servis.
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