After Preakness, Justify heads to Belmont Stakes with Triple Crown in play

Kentucky Derby winner Justify held on to win the Preakness Stakes and heads to the Belmont Stakes with a shot to win the Triple Crown.

Holding off Bravazo and Tenfold in the Preakness Stakes, Justify set up a shot at Triple Crown glory. Trainer Bob Baffert ended the long Triple Crown drought three years ago with American Pharoah, and another of his horses could now complete the Triple Crown for the second time in four years.

Prior to 2018, there were 139 previous instances when all three Triple Crown races were held in the same year. Over that span of time, 35 horses have had the chance to win the Triple Crown entering the Belmont Stakes. Twelve horses have succeeded in the feat, a 34-percent success rate. That bodes well for Justify as he strives to become the first of the group to win after starting his racing career as a three-year-old.

How Justify earned the Triple Crown shot at Belmont Park

Against a 20-strong field at Churchill Downs, Justify won from the No. 7 post as the pre-race favorite. The Run for the Roses was a muddy affair after inclement weather throughout the week. Jockey Mike Smith piloted Justify near the front on the sloppy track through the entire race, allowing Justify to avoid getting too dirty on the ride. The horse surged at the end to emerge clear of Good Magic and Audible.

Two weeks later, Justify did it again on another sloppy track at Pimlico in the Preakness Stakes. Despite running against a relatively weak field, Justify was pushed throughout the Preakness. Good Magic, the horse that finished as the runner-up behind Justify at the Kentucky Derby, gained inside position on Justify early in the race and held it through the back straightaway. Into the final turn, though, Justify held position while the rest of the field shuffled around him. Good Magic faded, Bravazo came up strong, and Tenfold made a late if futile charge to move up to the show position.

Next: Guide to all 12 Triple Crown winners with highlights

Will a new era of Triple Crown horses continue lead to a new golden era like the 1970s or the 1940s? Or will American Pharoah emerge as an anomaly in a sport where pulling off the Triple Crown feat has always been a relative rarity? We will find out on June 9 whether Justify will become the next Baffert-trained horse to emerge triumphant as a Triple Crown winner.

For more from the Triple Crown, wrapping up with the Belmont Stakes, make sure to follow FanSided and stay tuned to our horse racing hub for all the latest news and results.