Dense fog and a soggy track blurred ideal viewing conditions, but there was no mistaking Justify's run to victory in the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Entering the race with overwhelming odds, the undefeated favorite, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, shot out of Post 7 with a clean start as he had in Kentucky. Smith takes his second Preakness win.
While Justify's victory hardly came as a shock, don't call it an easy win. The favorite, who had been recovering from a bruised hind foot, stayed nose-to-nose with trailing Derby runner-up Good Magic for the majority of the race.
In the end, though, Bravazo placed second and long shot Tenfold finished third, reports The Associated Press:
"Justify went the 1 3/16th-mile race in 1 minute, 55.93 seconds as the 2-5 favorite, beating Bravazo by a half-length, with Tenfold in third by a neck and Good Magic fading to fourth another neck back."
"It was a nail-biter," Justify's trainer Bob Baffert told NBC Sports. "They put it to us. It was like they had their own private match race (but I'm) so happy we got it done. Such a great horse to handle all that pressure and get it done."
Baffert is now one race closer to taking his second Triple Crown. Baffert led American Pharoah to Triple Crown victory in 2015, ending a 37-year-drought in series champions.
Justify's next stop: the final jewel of the Triple Crown at Belmont Stakes in New York on June 9.
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