On Saturday, the attention of the horse-racing world will turn to a 3-year-old thoroughbred racehorse named Justify — who, along with his jockey, Mike Smith — can make history in just under three minutes.
Justify will be going up against 15 other horses at the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York, this weekend. If he can pull off a victory he will become only the 13th Triple Crown winner in history — and would follow American Pharoah, who pulled off a win in 2015 after a 35-year drought.
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But Justify has already surpassed expectations during his Triple Crown bid, and many oddsmakers have billed the undefeated horse as the favorite coming into the 150-year-old race.
With the hype building up for the race, here are five things to know about Justify and his bid for racing immortality.
Scat Daddy died in December 2015, at 11 years old.
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According to theWashington Post, WinStar Farm, which co-owns Justify along with the China Horse Club, likes to stick to shorter names for their racehorses that are either one word, or two short words.
This is one of the reasons Justify is namedJustify, instead of a long name like other racehorses in history, like “I’ll Have Another” or “Strike the Gold.”
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His Trainer Also Was in Charge of the Last Triple Crown Winner
Justify’s trainer, Bob Baffert, also trained American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner. Baffert is no stranger to success, as his horses have won five Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, two Belmont Stakes and three Kentucky Oaks.
Throughout his career, the 65-year-old has earned millions of dollars thanks to his wins, with American Pharoah’s accomplishments giving him his highest-ever single year earnings of more than $16 million, according to hiswebsite. If Justify earns the Triple Crown, it will only push Baffert’s legacy even further.
See if Justify can complete the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, with coverage beginning at 4 pm E.T. on NBC.
source: people.com
