Justify controlled the pace just like American Pharoah in the 2015 Belmont Stakes to win the 150th Belmont Stakes and become the 13th Triple Crown winner. In other words, he went wire to wire and had it in the bag, winning handily. The winning margin was 1 3/4 lengths, the time was way off Secretariat's record, 2:28.18.
Justify became the second undefeated Triple Crown winner (Seattle Slew is the first), and he is the mostly lightly raced. He never raced as a two-year-old. It is the second Triple Crown for trainer Bob Baffert.
Justify was from the second to the last crop of sire Scat Daddy, who died an untimely death when he had a heart attack in 2015. His last crop are two-year-olds this year.
At 52, Mike Smith is the oldest jockey ever to win a Triple Crown. He is nearly a decade older than the previous oldest, Victor Espinoza, who won the series aboard American Pharoah.
Snip:
Justify, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness last month and a huge favorite Saturday, beat Gronkowski to take the 150th Belmont Stakes. After the win in Elmont, N.Y., Justify became the second Triple Crown winner in four years, following American Pharoah, another Bob Baffert-trained horse.
Hofburg, highly regarded, was third.
It was obvious Justify nearly lost the Preakness three weeks ago because he didn't control the pace. There was no repeat here. Mike Smith had plenty of horse.
The Triple Crown trophy has been completely revamped, and it is huge.
The race from the official video from NBC Sports:
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