Race Selections: Justify straight-up in 143rd Preakness

By Rick Francis —-

Justify; Anne M. Eberhart
PIMLICO

Race 13) Grade 1 Preakness Stakes 3yo 1&3/16ths Mile Post Time 6:49 EDT

Justify (7), Baffert/Smith; his race and his Triple Crown to lose. Scat Daddy colt has improved in each of his four career starts regardless of field sizes and track conditions. Early skeptics, of which I have to admit I was one, and now number in the tens, need to face the fact, they’re all running for second today and three weeks from now in the Belmont Stakes.

Good Magic (5), Brown/Ortiz, J; was all game in the Derby as has all of his starts, and is clearly the second best horse of his generation. Son of Curlin in all probability will move on to take the 2018 Travers in late August, as I believe Baffert and connections of Justify learned from the American Pharoah experience, that when you’ve won the Triple Crown, what else is there to prove.

Bravazo (8), Lukas/Saez; though he finished up a flat sixth in the Derby his ability to find his way through that stampede works well in this; D. Wayne Lukas always seems to find a spot in exotic plays like this.

Selection: 7 w/ 5 w/ 8 straight up trifecta; use 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 in superfectas.