By Bloodhorse.com
ELMONT, N.Y. (June 9, 2018) — Justify, who burst onto the scene less than four months prior with a maiden victory at Santa Anita Park, set the pace, took challenges from multiple runners, and put them all away to win Saturday’s Grade I Belmont Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths over longshot Gronkowski in a final time of 2:28.18 for 1 1/2 miles under jockey Mike Smith.
Justify joins Seattle Slew as the only two undefeated Triple Crown winners and is the 13th winner of the three-race championship series for 3-year-olds.
Vino Rosso was the first to take a run at the Bob Baffert-trained chestnut—who set fractions of :23.37, :48.11, 1:13.21, and 1:38.09 through a mile—and made his challenge in the final turn. Jockey John Velazquez asked his Curlin colt to go on the attack, but he could only get to the pacesetter’s hip.
After Justify dispensed of that attempt, Gronkowski was the only threat. Far back in last through the first turn in his dirt debut, Gronkowski rallied on the rail in the second bend and appeared to have momentum for the stretch run, but couldn’t sustain his rally.
“Turning for home, you could just tell—the great ones always find more,” Baffert said.
Hofburg loomed wide in the stretch but lacked a late closing kick and finished third, another 1 3/4 lengths behind Gronkowski. He was followed, a neck back, by Vino Rosso, and Tenfold, Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, Restoring Hope, Blended Citizen, and Noble Indy completed the order of finish.