OT: Justify wins the Preakness.

Submitted by MichiganFan1984 on
WOW!! That was intense! Watch the replay if you missed it. Justify just won the Preakness meaning he will have a shot at the Triple Crown. This will make the Belmont very exciting in a few weeks. Justify is dominant, but winning the Belmont will be tough. The weather was awful, so we’ll see what it’s like for the third leg of the TC. Horse Racing is exciting, but having a TC opportunity makes it even more so. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! Go Celtics tonight!

MichiganFan1984

May 19th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^

Yeah. Bob Baffert. Not a nice guy, but knows how to train horses like a champ. Watching Mine That Bird come back and take down Pioneer of the Nile in the 09 Derby is still one of my favorite moments in sports. Baffert was a dick all week about how his horse PON would win and he was stunned at the finish.

Gucci Mane

May 19th, 2018 at 7:15 PM ^

Good Magic gave him everything he could handle. Tough to see Justify winning the Belmont when the top horses are back racing.

MichiganFan1984

May 19th, 2018 at 7:18 PM ^

I think he could do it. It’s almost as if he was waiting for a challenge. The Belmont is the longest though so if he truly was gassed then it could be a problem come June 9.

Gucci Mane

May 19th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^

The Jockey claimed it was partly that Justify was waiting for someone to challenge him. But I just don’t see that being true. He had no problem running away from the fields 2 weeks ago. We have seen some dominant horses run out of gas at the Belmont. Justify will likely be another. But he certainly has a chance. Will be a great race.

JHendo

May 19th, 2018 at 9:54 PM ^

If that race today was 1/16th of a mile longer, Justify loses. In the Belmont, if there is a horse that goes at him early like Good Magic did today, a fast closer is going to outsprint him down the wire and prevent the triple crown.

CriticalFan

May 19th, 2018 at 7:25 PM ^

Was the middle section of the race being filmed from a crane? A drone? One of those camera on wires like football? It was neat and the only way the race could be seen.

Harbaugh's Lef…

May 19th, 2018 at 7:39 PM ^

Well, you know with how the weather played out for the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness, it's going to be an absolutely beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, day on Long Island in three weeks for the Belmont!

Roanman

May 19th, 2018 at 8:40 PM ^

He went the better part of a mile looking Good Magic in the eye and then left when it was time. The Field at the Belmont will mostly have not run today and will be fresh for mile and a half race. That’ll be a test, but so far Justify looks big and strong to me. Throw in what looks like some very nice tactical speed. He might be a great one.

BrewCityBlue

May 19th, 2018 at 10:24 PM ^

that Good Magic had to do all the dirty work looking that beast in the eye dueling through the fog for first mile. His trainer not happy, that was not the plan. I dont blame the jock though, if noone else was pressuring early and hes loose on the lead having it his own way its over. So he had no choice, but once he made the only choice, he had no chance. Hofburg in the Belmont. Unload.

shoes

May 20th, 2018 at 10:35 AM ^

both the surface (known as Big Sandy) and the distance 1.5 miles on the dirt, a distance rarely run in North America (turf races at that distance are more common).

Being gassed at the end of 1 3/16 miles does not necessarily mean that 1.5 miles will be tougher. It is all about pace. Not surprisingly the Belmont is usually run at a slower pace. Let's say you go through the half at 47.5 seconds in the Derby or Preakness (this year's Derby was actually 45 seconds and change. If you go through the half in the Belmont at say 49 seconds the horses are far less gassed. A rule of thumb is that each second equals 5 lengths for a thoroughbred. So if you go a second and a half slower- that is 15 lengths!

Usually the horse with the highest "cruising speed" wins the Belmont if they are fit and take to the surface. I'd give Justify a 50-50 chance subject to who decided to enter the race in opposition.

97ws6

May 20th, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^

You're right, that's was must see! Thanks. That horse coming on like a feight train at the end was also incredible.Good thing that race wasn't another 20 yards. Justify ran a perfect race.