That was FUN! Congrats!
Wow. Justify seemed so calm and relaxed. He made that trip look easy.
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thanks!
The smile on Mike Smith’s face was fantastic. So happy for him and all of Justify’s connections.
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Me three
Justify looked happy! I’m used to that hollowed out space above the eye from dehydration and an exhausted look on some winners.
Not Justify he looked like “Yes, I am a good boy”.
Maybe it comes from never having lost.
I also love the jockeys age (52), he works out with weights 5-6 days a week.
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Thrilled! What a good boy. Super impressed with Gronkowski, who I had completely written off.
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What an INCREDIBLE race! I am so glad I got to watch it live!!! What a wonderful horse!
He had me a bit worried with the quick first 1/2, though he never looked like he was even trying. Just a gallop in the park.
I didn’t catch the final time though. how does it stack up against previous Belmont’s? Just curious…
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Time was 2:28.18. Pharoah’s was 2:26.65, Affirmed 2:26.80, Seattle Slew 2:29.60, Secretariat 2:24.00, if that gives you an idea.
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He was just loping along. He doesn’t look fast. But man he hangs in there. My husband’s (non-horseman) comment was accurate “what a STRONG horse!”
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Anyone else notice Mike didn’t even have Justify on contact last 1/4 mile or so? His reins were loose. Is that an indicator of just going along for a casual gallop?
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I honestly didn’t. The adrenaline of watching was just too great!
Great race! Don’t know what happened to Noble Indy who might have pressed the pace early. The early fractions, IMO, played right into Justify’s wheelhouse. Mike rode the race that Justify needed and no-one too Justify out of his game… on the front, soft pace, bring it home down the stretch. I was watching fractions and most were soft (at least IMO for a 1.5mi race).
Looked like Mike was fanning the whip for most of the stretch and Justify was just being his normal workman-like self.
Interesting to compare race times to other years but for me, not as meaningful as a horse only needs to go fast enough to win 
NBC also commented that Justify was sweating up a bit but there was also the observation that in the KD and Preakness he could have been wringing we and we wouldn’t be able to notice
I almost wanted this win not so much for Justify but for Mike Smith to round out a career resume. Watching Mike on the ride back to the front stretch you could see how much this win and Justify meant to him. He also dedicated the win to disabled jockeys.
BB, one might not always like how he trains but right after Justify crossed the wire in front and NBC put the mike in BB’s face, he got briefly choked up.
Did the TC trophy change? Does it get re-designed every time it is won? This one looked different than AP’s and I thought this one was very pretty (albeit larger).
Wonder what the rest of Justify’s summer/fall campaign will look like… Travers? Haskell?? BC Classic (he’s gotta be there for that).
Nice wins on the undercard too… Abel Tasman, Monomoy Girl (and a few upsets too… Jersey Bee over Mind Your Biscuits and Bolt d’Oro; Spring Quality over horses like Sadler’s Joy, Hi Happy, Robert Bruce)
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Yeah that butt ugly thing was new this year. Not sure what they were thinking there. I thought this was it for Justify? He’s going to keep racing?
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Actually liked this year’s trophy although I thought the horse in gold on the top was a bit ‘over the top’
I would assume Justify would keep racing this year… American Pharoah did. Really too late for the shed for this year. Have you seen anything that said Justify would not race after the TC?
Through the marvels of Google :)…
New Triple Crown trophy designed to be mobile
Following American Pharoah’s Triple Crown sweep in 2015, Chris Kay, the president and chief executive of the New York Racing Association, wanted to redesign the Triple Crown trophy. The previous version, Kay said, was only seven inches tall “and didn’t have any distinctive nature to it.”
Kay, wanting to make the trophy more reflective of the difficult nature of winning a Triple Crown, contacted renowned sculptor Roberto Santo, who had done work for Kay at Toys “R” Us and Universal Studios.
Santo came up with a 36 1/2-inch trophy that has a larger base that leads up to the same three-sided vase with two handles on the sides. At the top is a bronze horse. The trophy weighs 45 to 50 pounds.
I’m thinking at 45-50 lbs that trophy isn’t going to be stolen any time soon
This will be a permanent trophy that will be put on display at different racetracks throughout the year, Kay said. Should Justify win Saturday, the owners would be given a single 26-inch replica of the trophy, while trainer Bob Baffert would receive an 18-inch replica.
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Most trophies are butt ugly, but I really like this one. I think they actually had it designed by an actual designer rather than cobbed together by a committee.
(spoken as a graphic designer/illustrator)
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What a beautiful, calm horse. I saw the slo-mo of Mike Smith’s ride towards the end of the race…the right rein was loose, flapping, but the left rein was on contact, presumably to keep him from wandering away from the rail. The stick was being used in rhythm, not used.
Mike is very devout and it was sweet to see him thank his Creator first and formost.
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All I can say is WOW! And congratulations to Justify’s rider, owners, and team. WOW, WOW, WOW.
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Wow, I just looked at still pic, and yep, can’t see the left rein. That’s brilliant.
