The horse racing Triple Crown is one of the most illustrious achievements in sports. To win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the span of about a month is a titanic feat for any horse. In 2018, there's a legitimate possibility that we may get our second Triple Crown winner in four years, as Justify looks to become the first horse since American Pharaoh in 2015 to win all three Jewels of the Triple Crown consecutively after winning the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert says that Justify certainly has what it takes to win a Triple Crown like his previous Triple Crown winner, American Pharaoh.
"He's the most beautiful horse," Baffert said after Justify's Derby win, via the Associated Press. "He has that presence about him. Every day at Santa Anita everybody says, 'Who is that?'"
American Pharaoh became the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to take all three races in 2015, snapping a 37-year drought. Justify already broke the Apollo Curse by winning the Derby after not racing as a 2-year-old, which went on for 135 years. It isn't unreasonable to think that he'll be able to win the Triple Crown this season as well.
"I was just in awe of the performance," Baffert said of Justify after the Derby, per ESPN. "That's the best Kentucky Derby-winning performance that I've brought up here. And so, I mean, he just did it. He just put himself up there with the greats. It takes a horse, you know, like American Pharoah. We knew he was capable. Hey, I don't want to jinx myself, but we knew -- I knew I had something really special, but he had to prove it today."
Justify's jockey, Mike Smith, concurs that Justify is a special horse.
"I have never been on a 3-year-old like this," Smith -- a Hall of Fame jockey that has won seven American Classics -- said.
There have been 12 past Triple Crown winners, with the first coming in 1919.
Previous Triple Crown winners
- 1919: Sir Barton
- 1930: Gallant Fox
- 1935: Omaha
- 1937: War Admiral
- 1941: Whirlaway
- 1943: Count Fleet
- 1946: Assault
- 1948: Citation
- 1973: Secretariat
- 1977: Seattle Slew
- 1978: Affirmed
- 2015: American Pharaoh
In order to win the Triple Crown, of course, these horses must do more than just win three races in a row. They have to win three races against the most competitive fields in the sport in the span of about a month. That's exhausting, but Smith believes that Justify has the resilience to pull it off. After all, his win in 2:04.2 on a sloppy track on Saturday is in line with previous winners on faster tracks. American Pharaoh, for example, won in 2:03.02 on a fast track.
"You know how I feel about his ability," Smith said of the horse, per ESPN. "I mean, given the opportunity, there's no telling what this horse can do."
Right now, there is telling one thing: Justify could pull off the Triple Crown. There's no question that he has the physical ability.
"[Justify] wasn't going to let nobody by him," Smith said about the Derby. "Audible actually was running a little bit down there on the rail, was running late. I certainly could have kept my foot on the gas a little longer if I wanted to, and he would have stayed in front a whole lot further." Audible would end the race in third place.
With the Preakness Stakes' May 19 date fast approaching, we'll see if Justify can add The Second Jewel of the Triple Crown to his wins list. He's already the favorite after his gritty run at Churchill Downs.
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