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89-579: The event was inaugurated in 1929 as the Classic Stakes over a distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles on the dirt. At one time the Arlington Classic was one of the most important races in the United States, drawing the best 3-year-olds in the country. Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox attracted a crowd of 60,000 in 1930 and he continued his six race winning streak in the event. In 1932 when Gusto,

178-572: A jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Legend:    Turf    Dirt    Idle    Race name Notes: ¶ Filly † Held at Washington Park Race Track United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing In the United States , the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing , commonly known as the Triple Crown , is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds , consisting of

267-437: A maiden special weight race for three-year-olds at Santa Anita Park over seven furlongs . Going off as the 1-2 favorite, he broke poorly, then rushed up to challenge for the early lead. After completing the first quarter mile in a quick 21.80 seconds, he began to open up an advantage on the rest of the field, ultimately winning by 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths . The impressive win earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 104 and caused

356-605: A Grade I classification between 1981 and 1989. In 2007, this Grade III stakes race was downgraded to an ungraded stakes by the American Graded Stakes Committee , but it has been returned to its Grade III status. The Arlington Classic was raced on dirt from 1929–1973, 1977–1987, 1989–1993. Since its inception, the Arlington Classic has been contested over a variety of distances: Speed record: (at current 1 + 1 ⁄ 16 miles distance) Largest margin of victory: Most wins by an owner: Most wins by

445-517: A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered Justify disqualified unilaterally, which Justify's connections have appealed. In the 2018 World's Best Racehorse Rankings Justify was given a rating of 125, making him the second best three-year-old colt behind Roaring Lion and the eighth best racehorse in the world. On 24 January 2019, Justify was named the 2018 American Horse of the Year with 191 votes compared to 51 votes for Accelerate , who had won

534-481: A Triple Crown of Kentucky races to be held at Lexington, Louisville, and Latonia, then later a "Quadruple Stake" to include the Douglas Park racetrack. Neither of these appear to have materialized. The term "triple crown" in reference to the current three races was in use at least by 1923, although Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton is commonly credited with originating the term in 1930. The order in which

623-604: A big, powerful stride." Despite never having raced in stakes company, Justify was subsequently ranked as one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby, moving into seventh place in the March 12 NTRA poll. However, the colt first needed to qualify by earning points in the 2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby . Baffert originally planned to run stablemate McKinzie in the Santa Anita Derby and ship Justify to Oaklawn Park for

712-555: A combined margin of two lengths. His trainer John Veitch is the only trainer to have done this with one horse. In 1995, D. Wayne Lukas became the first and only major figure (owner, jockey, or trainer) to win all three Triple Crown races with different horses, Thunder Gulch in the Derby and Belmont, Timber Country in the Preakness. Lukas also is the only trainer to have won six consecutive Triple Crown races, adding his 1995 wins, having won

801-483: A deal with Chrysler to pay $ 5 million to any horse that swept all three races, and $ 1 million each year there was no Triple Crown sweep to the horse with the highest combined Triple Crown finish . This sponsorship lasted until 1993. The end of the $ 1 million participation bonus was linked to the breakdown of Prairie Bayou at the Belmont Stakes that year and the uncomfortable situation that arose when

890-457: A gap of 37 years. Between 1979 and 2014, thirteen horses won both the Derby and Preakness, but not the Belmont. Of those, Real Quiet came the closest, losing the Belmont Stakes by a nose in 1998. Another dramatic near-miss was Charismatic , who led the Belmont Stakes in the final furlong in 1999, but fractured his left front leg in the final stretch and fell back to third. Five other horses lost

979-621: A grandson of the great Man o' War won, it was then the richest race for 3-year-olds in America with a purse of $ 88,100. A noteworthy upset in the Arlington Classic occurred in 1946 when Assault , who had just won the United States Triple Crown , finished last. The Arlington Classic was run at the now defunct Washington Park Racetrack from 1943 through 1945. It was known as the Grand Prix Stakes in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and in 1977 it

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1068-476: A length over Bravazo, with Tenfold just a neck farther back in third, another neck in front of Good Magic. The win earned Justify a Beyer Speed Figure of 97, the lowest of his career. Baffert felt that the colt had suffered a bit of a "bounce", or regression, from a peak performance in the Derby. He was still impressed by Justify's performance, pointing out that the colt had been pushed hard by Good Magic and had also reacted greenly by jumping several puddles during

1157-482: A massive horse, standing 16.3  hands (67 inches, 170 cm) at the withers and weighing either 1,268 pounds (575 kg) or 1,380 pounds (630 kg) during his Triple Crown run. He was initially sent to trainer Rodolphe Brisset at Keeneland but pulled a muscle and was given time to recover and grow into his frame. In January 2018, he was sent to Santa Anita to be trained by Bob Baffert . Justify did not make his first start until February 18, 2018, in

1246-554: A notice of appeal, claiming that their absence as a party in the litigation between Ruis and the CHRB led to a denial of due process . The first-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby moved Justify to the top position in the NTRA 3-year-old poll and made him the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. To win the race though, he would have to overcome the so-called "Curse of Apollo" – no horse had won

1335-563: A number of exceptions: jockey Johnny Longden was born in England and raised in Canada; Ron Turcotte was Canadian. French-born jockey Jean Cruguet ; and jockey Victor Espinoza , from Mexico. Jockey Willie Saunders is considered a Canadian jockey because he spent part of his childhood there, but was born in Montana . Laz Barrera , trainer of Affirmed, was from Cuba; Secretariat's trainer, Lucien Laurin

1424-562: A stakes-placed daughter of Ghostzapper . Stage Magic was subsequently named the 2018 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year . Justify was part of the second-last crop of Scat Daddy , who won the Champagne Stakes and Florida Derby . Although Scat Daddy ran in America on the dirt, as a stallion he first made his reputation in Europe and South America as a turf sire, with Grade I winners including Lady Aurelia and Caravaggio His stud fee when he

1513-409: Is linebred 3 x 5 x 5 to Mr. Prospector, meaning this sire appears once in the third generation of the pedigree and twice in the fifth-generation as the sire of full sisters Yarn and Preach. Justify is also line bred on Northern Dancer through Storm Cat, Yarn, Nijinsky, Deputy Minister, Preach, and Baldski. Further back, Justify's pedigree contains multiple line breedings on some of the greatest sires of

1602-500: Is just amazing, he could have won every race on the undercard today." The win made Justify the thirteenth winner of the American Triple Crown , and just the second horse to accomplish the feat while still undefeated. Justify's owners received a total of $ 2.94 million for winning all three Triple Crown races. Following the Belmont Stakes, observers questioned the tactics of jockey Florent Geroux aboard Restoring Hope, who

1691-439: Is more dominant. "You have to watch him", said Baffert. "He likes to push you around. He's not a mean horse, but his patience level with people is, like, five seconds." The 2018 Belmont Stakes was run on June 9 over a fast track before a sold-out crowd of 90,000. Justify drew post position one, which meant that a poor start would have resulted in him getting trapped on the rail. However, Justify broke well and Smith sent him to

1780-568: Is normally found in tainted feed. The positive came just a few days after his win in the 2018 Santa Anita Derby . In December 2023 a court judge ordered that stewards issue a new ruling that would effectively disqualify Justify from that race. Justify is a chestnut stallion with a large white blaze on his forehead. He was bred in Kentucky by Canadian John D. Gunther, who runs Glennwood Farm in Versailles, Kentucky with his daughter Tanya. Although

1869-477: Is the only other owner with two Triple Crown horses, 1941 winner Whirlaway and 1948 winner Citation . Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to ride two horses to the Triple Crown, both for Calumet: Whirlaway and Citation. Those two horses' trainers, Ben Jones and Jimmy Jones, were father and son. All 13 horses were foaled in the United States. Most owners, trainers, and jockeys were American-born, though there were

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1958-539: The 1945 Kentucky Derby was moved from May 5 to June 9, with the Preakness and Belmont following on June 16 and 23, respectively. In 2020, the Triple Crown was altered from its usual sequence due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic . The adjusted schedule started with the Belmont Stakes on June 20, at the shortened distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles (9 furlongs). The Kentucky Derby ran on September 5, and finally

2047-500: The 2018 Preakness Stakes , run on May 19 at Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore, were even worse than for the Derby. After heavy rain over several days, the track was sloppy. The rain finally stopped shortly before the race but then a heavy fog descended, limiting visibility to about a sixteenth of a mile. The start was once again critical, and Justify broke well to take the early lead. To his inside, Good Magic rushed up to challenge him and

2136-409: The 2023 Belmont Stakes , making Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race. After the first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton , in 1919, there was not another winner until Gallant Fox in 1930, a gap of 11 years. Between 1930 and 1948, seven horses won the Triple Crown, with five years being the longest gap between winners. However, following the 1948 win of Citation , there

2225-482: The Arkansas Derby . But when McKinzie suffered a setback due to injury, Baffert decided to keep Justify at his home base for the Santa Anita Derby. On April 7, Justify entered the Santa Anita Derby as part of a field of seven horses. His main rival was Bolt d'Oro , a multiple stakes winner and another top contender on the Derby trail. The two horses were almost evenly matched in the betting, with Justify going off as

2314-683: The Kentucky Derby , Preakness Stakes , and Belmont Stakes . The three races were inaugurated in different years, the last being the Kentucky Derby in 1875. The Triple Crown Trophy , commissioned in 1950 but awarded to all previous winners as well as those after 1950, is awarded to a horse who wins all three races and is thereafter designated as a Triple Crown winner. The races are traditionally run in May and early June of each year, although global events have resulted in schedule adjustments, such as in 1945 and 2020. The first winner of all three Triple Crown races

2403-506: The Los Angeles County Superior Court ordered CHRB stewards to issue a new ruling to state that Justify won the Santa Anita Derby with illegal medication in his system, which would disqualify the horse from the race. The order was the result of a lawsuit from Mick Ruis, owner of Santa Anita Derby runner-up Bolt d'Oro , who filed the litigation after stewards announced they were not required to disqualify Justify. Soon after

2492-525: The Thoroughbred Daily News to designate the colt as a "Rising Star". "It's not too late", said Baffert regarding the colt's chances of qualifying for the Kentucky Derby. "I've got a plan... We're looking (for a graded stakes race). He's shown his brilliance in the morning." Justify made his next start on March 11 in an allowance race at Santa Anita, run at a distance of one mile. As the overwhelming 1-20 favorite, he broke slowly and settled behind

2581-516: The homestretch . On September 11, 2019, The New York Times reported that Justify failed a drug test for scopolamine after winning the Santa Anita Derby. The amount detected was 300 nanograms per milliliter — well in excess of the international standard of 60 ng/ml and the modified limit in California of 75 ng/ml. According to the veterinarian quoted in the New York Times article,

2670-405: The "foreseeable future". Baffert was the trainer of the prior Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah in 2015, and followed a similar training regimen with Justify at Churchill Downs until shipping to New York a few days before the Belmont. Baffert noted that one of the main differences between the two horses was their attitude: American Pharoah is known as a kind, easy going horse whereas Justify

2759-640: The 1941 Triple Crown, also won the Travers Stakes that year, the first and only horse to date to accomplish that feat. American Pharoah , in addition to winning the 2015 Triple Crown, also won the Breeders' Cup Classic that year. As the Breeders' Cup was not established until 1984, American Pharoah was the first (and currently only) horse to sweep those four races, a feat now known as the Grand Slam . Arcangelo won

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2848-458: The 1994 Preakness and Belmont with Tabasco Cat and the 1996 Derby with Grindstone . Like Veitch, only with two different horses, Bob Baffert also had second-place finishes in all three legs of the Triple Crown, both owned by Ahmed Zayat : in 2012, Bodemeister finished second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness stakes to I'll Have Another , then Paynter was entered and finished second to Union Rags . Baffert and Zayat teamed up again for

2937-418: The 2015 Triple Crown victory of American Pharoah. Gallant Fox is the only Triple Crown winner to sire another U.S. Triple Crown winner, Omaha . Affirmed sired Peteski , winner of the 1993 Canadian Triple Crown . Jockey Julie Krone became the first (and currently only ) woman to win a Triple Crown race when she won the 1993 Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair . Whirlaway , in addition to winning

3026-488: The 2026 Preakness Stakes is expected to be run at Maryland's Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course undergoes planned renovations. At completion of the 2016 season, the three Triple Crown races have attracted 4,224 entrants. Of these, 292 horses have won a single leg of the Triple Crown, 52 horses have won two of the races (23 the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, 18 the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, and 11

3115-463: The Belmont after winning only one of the first two legs. The first live national television broadcast of a Triple Crown race occurred with the 1947 Belmont Stakes on CBS. The following year, the Preakness Stakes was broadcast live and the Kentucky Derby was filmed to be broadcast the following day. Originally, the three races largely organized their own nominations procedure, marketing and television broadcast rights. In 1985, Triple Crown Productions

3204-475: The Belmont was 7 million when the Triple Crown was not at stake, whereas viewership averaged 13 million when it was. With the contract term ending, the NYRA went to ESPN on ABC for the 2006 Belmont, while the broadcasts of the Derby and Preakness remained with NBC. Visa chose to remain as a sponsor of only Kentucky Derby for the next five years. As a result of the divided broadcast, Triple Crown Productions

3293-410: The Belmont. By 2014, six of the previous eight Belmont winners had not competed in either of the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Additionally, from 2006 to 2014, the Belmont winner was a horse who had not competed in the Preakness. Since all three events were inaugurated, as of 2023, 23 horses have won the Derby and Preakness but not the Belmont (ten of which placed): Another 30 horses have won

3382-783: The Breeders' Cup Classic. Justify was also the unanimous selection for Champion three-year-old male . Justify's win in the Belmont Stakes was named the NTRA Moment of the Year , chosen from events that illustrate "a range of human emotions as well as outstanding displays of equine athleticism". In 2024 Justify was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. His formal induction will take place in Saratoga Springs, New York on August 2, 2024. On September 14, 2018, WinStar Farm announced that Justify would stand at Ashford Stud (Versailles, KY),

3471-470: The Gunthers have a small breeding operation, their 2015 foals also included Without Parole , a Grade I winner at Royal Ascot , Vino Rosso , a graded stakes winner who raced against Justify in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and Grade I winner Competitionofideas. For this accomplishment, Gunther earned the 2018 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder . Gunther also bred Justify's dam, Stage Magic,

3560-414: The Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes), and 13 horses have won all three races. Pillory won both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1922, a year when it was impossible to win the Triple Crown because the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes were run on the same day. 10 of the 13 winners have been "homebreds", owned at the time of their win by their breeders. Jim Fitzsimmons and Bob Baffert are

3649-476: The Kentucky Derby but won the Preakness and the Belmont, and three won the Derby and the Belmont, but not the Preakness. The 37-year gap between the Triple Crown wins of Affirmed and American Pharoah drew criticism of the system. As far back as 1986, reporters noted that horses who were fresh for the Belmont had an advantage. In 2003, Gary Stevens stated in an interview with Charlie Rose that he did not believe there would be another Triple Crown winner because of

Arlington Classic - Misplaced Pages Continue

3738-486: The Kentucky Derby through 2025. NBC then renewed its rights to the Preakness and Belmont through 2022. In January 2022, Fox Sports acquired the broadcast rights to the Belmont Stakes for eight years beginning in 2023. Justify (horse) Justify (born in March 28, 2015) is a US Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who is known for being the thirteenth winner of the American Triple Crown . He also

3827-467: The Kentucky Derby winner, Sea Hero, was given the bonus following a seventh-place finish. In 1995, Visa took over the sponsorship with a 10-year contract, naming the series the Visa Triple Crown and offering only the $ 5 million bonus to a horse that could sweep the Triple Crown. Along with sponsorship by Visa, NBC Sports paid $ 51.5 million for broadcast rights to all three races, with

3916-804: The Kentucky Derby without racing as a two-year-old since Apollo in 1882. Baffert pointed to the horse's natural ability but acknowledged the colt was still green. Furthermore, the field for the 2018 Kentucky Derby was considered one of the best in recent memory, with most of the major prep race winners given serious consideration by handicappers . In addition to Justify, the field included graded stakes winners Good Magic (Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Blue Grass Stakes), Mendelssohn (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and UAE Derby), Audible (Florida Derby), Magnum Moon (Arkansas Derby), Noble Indy (Louisiana Derby), Vino Rosso (Wood Memorial), My Boy Jack (Lexington Stakes), Free Drop Billy (Breeders' Futurity), Firenze Fire (Champagne Stakes) and Bolt d'Oro . The 2018 Kentucky Derby

4005-504: The North American branch of Coolmore Stud , although the original ownership group had retained some breeding rights. His stud fee for 2019 was $ 150,000. Coolmore announced that Justify's stud fee would be lowered to $ 100,000 for the 2022 breeding season and would not shuttle to Australia. With the successes of Justify's progeny in 2023 his stud fee for 2024 was doubled to $ 200,000. c = colt , f = filly , g = gelding Justify

4094-456: The Preakness on October 3. 2020 also marked the first time for the Belmont Stakes to be run as the opening leg of the Triple Crown. Each Triple Crown race is open to both colts and fillies . Although fillies have won each of the individual Triple Crown races, none has won the Triple Crown itself. Despite attempts to develop a "Filly Triple Crown" or a " Triple Tiara " for fillies only, no set series of three races has consistently remained in

4183-502: The Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5 ) the Preakness Stakes (1:53), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24). At 18, Steve Cauthen became the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Affirmed in 1978. At 52, Mike Smith became the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Justify in 2018. Only one horse, Alydar , placed (finished second) in all three races. He was defeated each time by Affirmed in 1978 by

4272-414: The blood level was actually quite low", he said, explaining that this and the presence of another drug, atropine , found in jimson weed were consistent with feed contamination. Baffert issued a statement on September 12 that said, "I unequivocally reject any implication that scopolamine was ever intentionally administered to Justify, or any of my horses." On December 1, 2023, Judge Mitchell Beckloff of

4361-470: The co-owner of Vino Rosso and Noble Indy, told the Daily Racing Form that he was confused by seeing Restoring Hope "rush up like he was a Quarter Horse ". Vino Rosso's rider John Velasquez said he felt like Geroux was trying to protect Justify. On the other hand, D. Wayne Lukas , the trainer of Bravazo, found the situation "strange", but did not think Restoring Hope's actions affected the outcome of

4450-564: The colt for a detailed evaluation. Justify was officially retired from racing on July 25, 2018, ending the colt's bid for the Grand Slam. * indicates that Justify was the post-time favorite. Justify originally finished first. Connections of Bolt d'Oro sued the California Horse Racing Board in 2020 to disqualify Justify because of a positive test for scopolamine, which was found in jimsom weed that contaminates hay. In 2023,

4539-501: The decision, a CHRB spokesman said that the board was weighing their legal options. On March 7, 2024, The Blood-Horse reported that the CHRB had agreed to a $ 300,000 settlement with Ruis to resolve all claims and would instruct stewards to issue a disqualification ruling. Santa Anita stewards issued the new ruling on March 30, 2024, pursuant to the court order. As of the date of the stewards ruling, Equibase has yet to update its official race chart. In April 2024 Justify's owners filed

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4628-410: The early leaders, On the far turn, he quickened and swept to an easy 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 length win. "I didn't ask him to move", said jockey Mike Smith , riding the colt for the first time. "He came off that turn like it was a stroll. Just very, very impressed. I hate to compare him to other horses right now, but doesn't he remind you of an Easy Goer way back in the day. Just a big ol’ red horse with

4717-464: The excessive amount detected suggested that it was used as a performance enhancer and was not simply a feed contaminant. At that time, such a drug positive could have resulted in Justify's disqualification from the Santa Anita Derby, which in turn would have meant he would not have received the points required to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. However, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) did not announce

4806-512: The first three-quarters of a mile, completed in 1:11, followed closely by Bolt d'Oro, Flameaway, and Good Magic. Going into the final turn, Promises Fulfilled dropped back while first Bolt d'Oro and then Good Magic were put to a drive. Justify responded to the challenge and opened up a lead of 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths at the top of the stretch, widening to 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths at the finish line. Good Magic held on for second while Audible closed late to finish third. Justify came out of

4895-519: The horse starts getting aggressive behind horses. It would have been even worse if he was behind horses." Gary West, the owner of Restoring Hope, told the New York Post that he was unaware of any plan to have the colt near the pace. "Maybe the horse was completely out of control and Florent had no choice. I will never know." The Belmont Park stewards spoke to Geroux about his ride the Thursday following

4984-406: The lead with a quick opening quarter of 23.37. He then slowed down the pace as they moved around the first turn and down the backstretch, leading by two lengths over Restoring Hope as he completed the mile in 1:38.09. Around the far turn, Vino Rosso mounted a drive to move into second place, while Gronkowski and Hofburg started closing on Vino Rosso from far back. Despite drifting out slightly in

5073-407: The most Triple Crown victories with two apiece; Calumet's winners were Whirlaway and Citation. Eddie Arcaro rode both of Calumet's Triple Crown champions and is the only jockey to win more than one Triple Crown. Willie Simms is the only African-American jockey to win all three races that would compose the triple crown. During the 1898 Preakness Stakes he rode a different horse, Sly Fox and won

5162-512: The only living Triple Crown winners. James E. "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons was the first trainer to win the Triple Crown more than once; he trained both Gallant Fox and Omaha for the Belair Stud . Gallant Fox and Omaha are also the only father-son pair to each win the Triple Crown. Bob Baffert became the second trainer to win the Triple Crown more than once, training American Pharoah and Justify. Belair Stud and Calumet Farm are tied as owners with

5251-430: The only two trainers to have two horses win the Triple Crown, with Fitzsimmons training the sire/son combination of 1930 winner Gallant Fox and 1935 winner Omaha and Baffert training 2015 winner American Pharoah and 2018 winner Justify . The wins by Fitzsimmons were also the first time that an owner and the first time that a breeder, Belair Stud holding both duties, had a repeat win of the Triple Crown. Calumet Farm

5340-499: The positive and delayed making a decision on the case before ultimately dismissing it in August. In January 2019, the CHRB changed the penalty for a scopolamine test positive to a fine and trainer suspension, which is consistent with Association of Racing Commissioners International standards adopted effective January 1, 2017. Dr. Rick Arthur, the board's equine medical director, subsequently explained that their investigation suggested that

5429-734: The public eye, and at least four different types of races have been used. Two fillies won the series of the Kentucky Oaks , the Pimlico Oaks (now the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes ), and the Coaching Club American Oaks , in 1949 and 1952, but the racing press did not designate either accomplishment as a "Triple Crown". In 1961, the New York Racing Association created a filly Triple Crown of in-state races only, but

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5518-444: The race almost untouched by the mud due to his front-running style. The day after however, he appeared to be somewhat lame in his left hind leg – a condition that Baffert attributed to "scratches or whatever" from the wet track. The sensitivity was later determined to have been caused by a heel bruise. To protect the heel, Justify was shod with a three-quarter horseshoe before he resumed galloping on May 10. The track conditions for

5607-406: The race. In response, Baffert said that his original plan was to have Restoring Hope sit behind Justify in second. Geroux stated that he wanted to be towards the front early but Restoring Hope became rank. "When he broke a step slow – he's kind of an aggressive horse to ride, he pulls very hard – I wanted to make sure I put him in the clear. I didn't want to break, get the horse covered up and then

5696-445: The race. Secretariat holds the stakes record time for each of the three races. His time of 2:24 for 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles in the 1973 Belmont Stakes also set a world record that still stands. The three Triple Crown races had existed long before the series received its name: the Belmont Stakes was first run in 1867, the Preakness in 1873, and the Kentucky Derby in 1875. On December 31, 1912, Johnson N. Camden Jr. proposed

5785-497: The race. "You can't bring it all the time", he said. "This will set him up for the next one." On May 24, ESPN.com and the New York Times reported that Justify's breeding rights had been sold prior to the running of the Preakness to Coolmore Stud (which had owned his sire Scat Daddy) for $ 60 million. Reportedly, a bonus of $ 25 million would kick in if Justify subsequently won the Triple Crown. WinStar Farm replied that they had received many inquiries but nothing would be finalized in

5874-426: The race. Geroux said he felt like the stewards were only talking to him because of the media attention. "I didn't bother anybody, I didn't shut anybody off. If there was something, I think they would have contacted me right away to review the race", he said. After the Belmont, Justify was returned to Churchill Downs where he was paraded before a large crowd on June 16. He was then shipped back to Santa Anita, where he

5963-476: The races are run has varied. From 1932 through 2019, the Kentucky Derby was run first, followed by the Preakness, and then the Belmont. Running the three races in a five-week span was instituted in 1969. The Preakness was run before the Kentucky Derby 11 times, most recently in 1931. Two times— May 12, 1917, and May 13, 1922 — the Kentucky Derby and Preakness were run on the same day. Scheduling has occasionally been affected by global events. During World War II,

6052-486: The races changed over the years. Eight fillies won the NYRA Triple Tiara between 1968 and 1993. Gelded colts may run in any of the three races today, but they were prohibited from entering the Belmont between 1919 and 1957. Geldings have won each of the individual races, but like fillies, no gelding has ever won the Triple Crown. The closest was Funny Cide , who won the Derby and the Preakness in 2003. Each of

6141-426: The races is held on a dirt track, rather than the turf surfaces commonly used for important races elsewhere in the world. In 2024, the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga Race Course at the shorter distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles due to the construction of a new grandstand and racing surface at Belmont Park . The final leg of the Triple Crown is also expected to be moved to Saratoga in 2025. Meanwhile,

6230-420: The result was in fact due to feed contamination by jimson weed . One key factor was that horses from five different barns had high readings for scopalimine over the same period, though none of these were as high as Justify's. Arthur pointed out that Justify may well have ingested a seed, or his reading may have been inflated because of dehydration after the race. "Even though the level was relatively high in urine,

6319-433: The revenue split giving 50% of the total to Churchill Downs and 25% each to Pimlico and to the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The Visa deal—and the cooperative effort—ended after 2005. The NYRA felt that they did not get a fair share of the revenue, particularly when the Belmont had the highest ratings of all three races in the years where a Triple Crown was on the line. From 2001 through 2013, average viewership for

6408-399: The sales. "He was a beautiful yearling – had great balance and leg, great shoulder, and lovely length and neck, and power", he said. "For a big horse, he was very light on his feet, with good action and good energy." In early March 2018, SF Racing sold a share to Starlight Racing, then Sol Kumin 's Head of Plains partners also bought a share in late March. Justify grew into

6497-403: The slight favorite. He went to the early lead then set a comfortable pace down the backstretch , moving with a "freak stride" that helped him conserve energy. Around the final turn, the field started to close the gap, with Bolt d'Oro getting to within 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths in mid-stretch. Justify responded to the challenge and drew away for a three-length lead despite drifting somewhat down

6586-474: The stretch, Justify increased a one length lead over the challengers after the final turn to win by 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 lengths over Gronkowski. He completed the mile and a half race in 2:28.18. Baffert was elated following the race. "It's just amazing, I'm so proud to be an American, very emotional and a lot of help upstairs", he told Forbes . "It never gets old. American Pharoah was my first love, but wow, Mike Smith deserves something like this. This horse

6675-405: The tendency for owners to put fresh horses in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn was particularly critical of the Triple Crown system in post-Belmont remarks in 2014; he considered the system to be unfair, arguing that there would never be another Triple Crown winner in his lifetime unless only horses that competed in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness competed at

6764-612: The twentieth century, including Native Dancer , Nearco , and Man o' War . Justify's pedigree includes several Triple Crown winners. He is a fifth generation descendant of Seattle Slew through A.P. Indy; a sixth generation descendant of Secretariat through both Storm Cat and A.P. Indy; descends from Count Fleet through Mr. Prospector and Primal Force, and has multiple crosses to War Admiral through Ogygian 's daughter Myth, Personable Lady, and A.P. Indy. Even farther back in his pedigree are Omaha and Gallant Fox . Nijinsky , who appears several times in Justify's pedigree, won

6853-427: The two matched strides around the first turn and down the backstretch while setting moderate fractions. They picked up the pace rounding the final turn and opened a gap on the rest of the field. However, in mid-stretch, Tenfold started closing ground rapidly to Justify's outside while Bravazo, who had trailed by five lengths in mid-stretch, was moving fastest of all in the center of the track. Justify dug in to win by half

6942-704: Was Sir Barton in 1919. Some journalists began using the term Triple Crown to refer to the three races as early as 1923, but it was not until Gallant Fox won the three events in 1930 that Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form put the term to common use. Only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018). As of 2024 , American Pharoah and Justify are

7031-510: Was Canadian. Owner Fannie Hertz was married to John D. Hertz , who was born in Slovakia; owner Ahmed Zayat was born in Egypt. The horse Sir Barton was foaled in the United States but had a Canadian owner, J. K. L. Ross , at the time of his Triple Crown win. Justify's large ownership group included individuals from both the United States and China. Secretariat holds the stakes record for each of

7120-409: Was a considerable gap of 25 years before Secretariat ended the drought of Triple Crown champions in 1973. Between 1973 and 1978, there were three Triple Crown winners. After Affirmed's Triple Crown in 1978, the longest drought in Triple Crown history began in 1979 with Spectacular Bid 's failed Triple Crown attempt when he finished third in the Belmont. It lasted until American Pharoah won in 2015,

7209-424: Was also trained by Baffert. Restoring Hope broke slowly from the starting gate but quickly headed for the lead in between horses, cutting in front of Noble Indy and drifting wide entering the first turn. He then veered left, pushing Bravazo towards the rail. Some of those connected to other horses in the race believed that Geroux's actions helped give Justify an advantage by giving him an uncontested lead. Mike Repole,

7298-573: Was bred to Stage Magic in 2014 was only $ 35,000, though it was scheduled to increase to $ 100,000 in 2016. However, Scat Daddy died prematurely at the age of eleven in December 2015. Justify was sold at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sales for $ 500,000 to a recently formed partnership between WinStar Farm (60% ownership), China Horse Club (25%) and SF Racing (15%), the latter run by employees of George Soros 's investment firm. David Hanley, general manager of WinStar, said that Justify stood out at

7387-477: Was created when the owner of Spend a Buck chose not to run in the other two Triple Crown races because of a financial incentive offered to any Kentucky Derby winner who could win a set of competing races in New Jersey. The organizers of the three races realized that they needed to work together. Efforts to unify the sponsorship and marketing of all three Triple Crown races began in 1987 when ABC Sports negotiated

7476-451: Was held on May 5 on a rainy day at Churchill Downs . Although the surface had been sealed earlier in the day to minimize the effect of the rain on the footing, the track condition was still labeled as sloppy. Justify broke well and used his early speed to establish good position near the rail going into the first turn, running a length behind Promises Fulfilled in a fast opening quarter of 22.24 seconds. These two maintained their position for

7565-648: Was made open to horses three-year-olds and up as was labelled as the Arlington Classic Invitational Handicap. There was no race held in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1988, 1998 and 1999. The Arlington Classic became part of Arlington Park's "Mid-America Triple" which included the American Derby in July and the Secretariat Stakes in August. The Triple was last won by Honor Glide in 1997. The event held

7654-511: Was never beaten in his entire career. Justify's ancestors include Secretariat , Count Fleet , War Admiral , Omaha , and Gallant Fox , all of whom also won the American Triple Crown. He is also a descendant of English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky . On September 11, 2019, it was revealed via The New York Times that Justify tested positive for scopolamine , a banned substance that can be performance enhancing, in excess of what

7743-495: Was paraded on June 23. Baffert kept Justify in light training to give the colt time to recover from the grueling Triple Crown campaign. His ultimate target was to complete the Grand Slam later in the year by racing Justify in the Breeders Cup Classic . In early July, Baffert noticed a slight filling in the ankle of Justify's left front leg. The filling subsided but then reappeared a few days later, so Baffert decided to send

7832-430: Was the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without racing as a two-year-old. Justify first attracted attention with a win in his debut race on February 18, 2018. He went on to win the Kentucky Derby , the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes to become the 13th Triple Crown winner. He was retired undefeated several weeks after the Belmont and became the only American Triple Crown winner who

7921-430: Was unable to obtain a new sponsor. Today Triple Crown Productions LLC, based at Churchill Downs , is responsible for collecting nominations to the annual Triple Crown races. In February 2011, ABC/ESPN dropped out of the negotiations to renew broadcast rights to the Belmont Stakes. NBC obtained the contract through 2015, once again uniting all three races on the same network. In 2014, NBC extended their contract for

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