Justify will be a strong favorite to win the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. This horseplayer can’t find any notable handicapping strikes against the unbeaten colt, except: 1. He will be a very unattractive price. 2. He has accomplished a great deal in a relatively short time. 3. Recent history […]
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When American Pharoah sought to sweep the Triple Crown in the 2015 Belmont Stakes, I not only picked him to win here at Xpressbet.com, I listed 10 reasons why I thought he would do it. I also listed five concerns. American Pharoah came through. He won the Belmont by 5 1/2 lengths to end a […]
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Tuesday morning, via Internet magic, I watched Justify breeze at Churchill Downs. It was his first serious exercise in nine days, since the Preakness, where he traded body blows throughout with 2-year-old champ and Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic, before ultimately holding clear from the hard-charging Bravazo. Going in, there was no doubt in my […]
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Racing enthusiasts are eagerly looking ahead to the June 9 Belmont Stakes when Justify goes for Triple Crown glory. Super J will be trying to become the 13th Thoroughbred in history to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont. In Justify’s first recorded workout since the May 19 Preakness, he effortlessly zipped four furlongs […]
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Justify is special. That’s a ‘known known.’ And he’s got the paper to prove it. Five starts. Five wins. Nice. Two Triple Crown race attempts. Two Triple Crown race wins. Really nice. The first horse in history to accomplish the feat without racing as a 2-year-old. Priceless! So, take it from this long-in-the-tooth horseplayer and […]
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It is a meteoric rise to superstardom that is nothing less than astonishing. Justify made his first career start on Feb. 18 at Santa Anita Park. And now, after having won the May 5 Kentucky Derby and last Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, he sets his sights on the June 9 Belmont Stakes and its demanding 1 […]
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Earlier this week I received an inquisitive e-mail from a friend containing a link to a Sports Illustrated article by Tim Layden posted at MSN.com: Justify Elicits Comparisons to American Pharoah in First Step of Following Same Historic Path (https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/justify-elicits-comparisons-to-american-pharoah-in-first-step-of-following-same-historic-path/ar-AAwO7ri?li=BBnba9I). The question my friend asked is, “So, what do you think?” As I typed a […]
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When American Pharoah in 2015 swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, he ended a 37-year streak in which there had been no Triple Crown winner. He became the first horse to achieve the coveted feat since Affirmed in 1978. But those 37 years were peanuts compared to the streak that came to […]
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What two former Quarter Horse trainers — D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert — have managed to accomplish in Thoroughbred racing is truly phenomenal. Lukas has won the Kentucky Derby, the most coveted American race in Thoroughbred racing, four times (Winning Colors in 1988, Thunder Gulch in 1995, Grindstone in 1996 and Charismatic in 1999). […]
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Ever hear that nothing’s over until the fat lady sings? Apparently, the phrase has more to do with operatic structure than it does with overeating. And that’s good because when it comes to weight–or an excess of it–yours truly has little room to joke. Residual holiday girth, you see. (BTW, for how long into the […]
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It’s never too early to talk Triple Crown. Here’s our preseason top-25 rankings plus 10 additional prospects that are “under consideration.” The rankings are based on performance, pedigree, running style, connections, and projections. Let’s see how many can make an impact in next spring’s American classics. Jeff Siegel’s Preseason 2018 Triple Crown Top-25 Rankings […]
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There’s no Triple Crown on the line. Neither Kentucky Derby nor Preakness winners are competing. Plus, Preakness runner-up and 2-year-old champ Classic Empire wasn’t entered at the last minute because of a hoof abscess. Why are we even discussing this race? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s still the Belmont Stakes—Test of a […]
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The Belmont Stakes is, of course, a lot more fun when someone is going for a Triple Crown sweep after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. But not only is there no Triple Crown on the line this Saturday, neither Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming nor Preakness hero Cloud Computing is entered in this […]
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The third and final leg of the 2017 Triple Crown is on the horizon next Saturday, June 10 at Belmont Park and no Triple Crown will be on the line. That’s OK with this guy. Racing’s most coveted title is one of the few professional sports honors not presented annually. It’s bestowed purely on a […]
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Cloud Computing’s determined stretch drive past Classic Empire in the 2017 Preakness was exciting, but not necessarily what a majority of 140,000 on-track attendees and millions of television, mobile and online viewers expected. Fans itching for a Sunday Silence/Easy Goer-type Preakness duel between Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and reigning 2-year-old champ Classic Empire weren’t […]
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