Justify is the horse to watch going into the 2018 Preakness Stakes, the second leg on the road to the Triple Crown. After winning the Kentucky Derby and breaking “Apollo’s Curse”, Justify has been favored to take the 9 1/2 furlong Preakness. It’s set to go down on Saturday, with a post time of approximately 6:20 p.m. ET.
Related Highlights and winners from Saturday at Pimlico
Television coverage of the race will be carried by NBC, which begins pre-race coverage at 5 p.m. Further pre-race coverage can be found at NBC Sports from 2:30 p.m. Online streaming of the race will be handled by NBC Sports or a streaming service that carries NBC, such as fuboTV.
Justify was not raced as a two-year-old, which is what the aforementioned “curse” refers to. The last horse to win the Derby having not been raced as a two-year-old was Apollo in 1882. The horse is trained by Bob Baffert, and Mike Smith is the jockey. Justify is 4-0 with over $2 million in career earnings.
Baffert also trained American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner. He also has had six of his horses win the Preakness, tied with D. Wayne Lukas in second place all-time.
The other horses to watch are Bravazo, Quip, and Good Magic. The latter of the three has been considered Justify’s top competition for the Preakness.
Justify also started seventh in the Derby, though post position is a different thing when it comes to the Preakness, as the field is down from 20 horses to eight.
Below, you can see the full post position lineup for the eight-horse field.
2018 Preakness Stakes post positions
1. Quip
2. Lone Sailor
3. Sporting Chance
4. Diamond King
5. Good Magic
6. Tenfold
7. Justify
8. Bravazo
And below is all you need to know to watch the action.
How to watch the 2018 Preakness Stakes
All times ET
Date: Saturday, May 19
Location: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore
Post time: 6:20 p.m. (approx)
TV: NBC (from 5 p.m., more pre-race coverage on NBCSN from 2:30 p.m.)
Online Streaming: NBC Sports, fuboTV
Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images
While the Preakness Stakes may not carry the same worldwide acclaim as the Kentucky Derby, for Justify and Bob Baffert, this meeting at Pimlico Race Course will be a momentous one.
Justify was excellent at Churchill Downs earlier this month to win the Derby, breaking the longstanding Apollo Curse and showing durability in difficult conditions. The champion will now be keen to follow in the footsteps of American Pharoah, a horse also trained by Baffert that won the Triple Crown in 2015.
While he's the heavy favourite to take the second of the three thoroughbred racing jewels, it's not going to be totally straightforward for Justify and jockey Mike Smith.
Read on for the crucial information needed pre-race, including the post details and where to catch the action from Baltimore, Maryland.
Date: Saturday, May 19
Start Time: 6:20 p.m. ET, 11:20 p.m. BST
TV Info: NBC (U.S.), AtTheRaces (UK)
Post Positions and Odds
1. Quip (+1600)
2. Lone Sailor (+2500)
3. Sporting Chance (+2200)
4. Diamond King (+1600)
5. Good Magic (+300)
6. Tenfold (+2500)
7. Justify (-250)
8. Bravazo (+1800)
Figures are courtesy of OddsShark
Fresh Challenges for Justify at Preakness
Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images
The Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes present a different challenge to the one the runners and riders came up against in the Derby.
The circuit is a lot tighter in Baltimore than the one at Churchill Downs, while a smaller field also means challengers are less likely to be shunted on their way around the circuit. The showpiece race is also half a furlong shorter than the first Triple Crown race.
While other competitors at Pimlico will be hoping these factors work against Justify, who is clearly the class of the field, they're more likely to enhance his chances.
After all, the difficulty of the run in Kentucky, with the rain tipping down prior to the start of the event, would have taken a lot from many in the field. And with all but one of the pre-race favourites missing out on the chance of a Triple Crown, there's no rush to get back for Preakness.
As noted by Joe Nevills of Daily Racing Form, the biggest obstacles between Justify and a Triple Crown will most likely come in the Belmont Stakes in New York instead of at Preakness:
It's a race that looks to be Justify's to lose, and while anything can happen in these types of dashes, the favourite appears primed for another big performance.
He was relatively comfortable in Kentucky despite the conditions, while Smith has proved on so many occasions that he is one of the best jockeys in the business. Regardless of the circumstances, the veteran is unlikely to panic at any point.
Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images
Baffert is also an expert in getting his horses prepared for this quick turnaround, and he played down fears that Justify is carrying a knock ahead of his chase for more glory, per Deb Carson of Fox Sports:
If Justify is hindered here, then Good Magic is the horse that appears most likely to capitalise. He was an impressive second at Churchill Downs, holding on to the position well despite getting a fair amount of kickback from the winner.
Jockey agent Jimmy Riccio praised the performance of the runner-up and the ride Jose Ortiz gave him at Churchill Downs:
While the two horses mentioned did show their best at the Derby, the most likely challenge may come from a new rival. Quip will be fresh into this one and may capitalise if the Derby runners do begin to feel the strain late in the contest.
Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images
Justify will attempt to build on the back of his Kentucky Derby triumph and make it two for two in Triple Crown legs on Saturday in the 2018 Preakness Stakes.
Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore opens its doors to horse racing's elite for one of the most hotly anticipated contests of the year.
It's been three years since trainer Bob Baffert won the most recent Triple Crown with American Pharoah, and a strong showing in Louisville could have Justify pegged to follow his lead.
Odds Shark provided a breakdown of the race odds on Friday:
Read on for the race's key information, including post time and how to live-stream the action, as well as predictions for who will emerge triumphant.
2018 Preakness Stakes
Post time: 6:20 p.m. ET/11:20 p.m. BST
TV broadcast: NBC (U.S.)
Live Stream: NBC Sports app (U.S.)
Final Predictions
It's not the method preferred by all punters, but backing favourite Justify seems the wisest choice. Few contenders hold a candle to his prestige and potential.
OddsShark's Michael Dempsey discussed Good Magic as a potential challenger, although the wet weather at Pimlico could be to Justify's liking after his Kentucky win:
Justify gave Baffert his second Kentucky Derby winner in four years and became the first horse in 136 years to win the race without a start at two years of age.
Baffert didn't hesitate to inform the media his star would be heading to the Preakness Stakes following his triumph at Churchill Downs:
There doesn't appear to be much suggesting this field can stop Justify. Quip staged a surprise in the Tampa Bay Derby and may be a sleeper, but none of the reappearing Kentucky runners show much promise compared to Baffert's leading star.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has a superb chance at victory if he can get a nose ahead this time around, with Justify capable of easing ahead if given space.
Justify isn't the only one on his team with something at stake here, either, as racing reporter Jay Privman highlighted his trainer's competition with D. Wayne Lukas in the Triple Crown stakes:
Jimmy Barnes, assistant to Baffert, said earlier in May that Justify was "happy" and "full of himself" leading up the Preakness, per AmericasBestRacing.net. It is an intimidating prospect for his competitors, particularly those who witnessed his might up close in Louisville.
Not since American Pharaoah has any horse won two legs of the Triple Crown in the same year, but who better than another Baffert-trained star to end that drought at Pimlico?
Predicted Winner: Justify
1 of 22 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The best photos from the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico race course in Baltimore View Photos Fans get ready for the 143rd edition of the Preakness, as Kentucky Derby winner Justify goes for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Caption Fans get ready for the 143rd edition of the Preakness, as Kentucky Derby winner Justify goes for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Todd Olszewski Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
Justify, winner of the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, held Bravazo to claim the 143rd Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course. With the victory, Justify moved one step closer to becoming the 13th horse to win the elusive Triple Crown. The final leg, the Belmont Stakes, will take place June 9 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
This is a developing story and will update.
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Here is everything you need to know ahead of the 143rd Preakness Stakes.
When: Post time is scheduled for 6:48 p.m. Eastern.
How to watch: Race coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network and will switch to NBC at 5. The coverage will also be streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
[In life of horses and hockey, Eddie Olczyk never faced odds like his cancer battle]
Length: The race is 1 3/16 miles long.
Weather: Track conditions are abysmal at Pimlico Race Course after seven inches of rain in the region over the past three days. The National Weather Service forecast for Saturday called for a 30 percent chance of more precipitation.
[The Preakness moving out of Pimlico and Baltimore? It’s looking increasingly likely.]
Odds: The morning-line favorites were Justify (1-2), Good Magic (3-1) and Quip (12-1).
A look at the Preakness field and opening odds
The favorite:
Justify is the Kentucky Derby champion, undefeated in his four-race career and trained by Bob Baffert, whose four previous Derby winners each followed up with a victory in the Preakness. Thus, he will enter the No. 7 starting gate Saturday with what are expected to be the shortest odds since Big Brown, who went off at 1-5 in 2008 and cruised to a 5¼-length victory.
The chestnut colt is such an overwhelming favorite that it seems like ages ago that people were questioning whether Justify owned enough race experience to win the Kentucky Derby. Before him, no horse in 136 years had won the Derby after not racing as a 2-year-old. But now, the opposite question is being asked in some circles: whether Justify has been pushed too hard. The Preakness will be his fifth career start, all of them in a span of about three months.
Justify enters Preakness Stakes chasing history in weather that could be biblical
Picks and handicapping: Justify showed in the Run for the Roses that he can dominate on a sloppy track, and if he can replicate that speed in what should be terrible conditions at Pimlico Race Course he is going to be tough to beat. Plus, Preakness results have proven more likely to follow the odds than the other Triple Crown Races.
Whatever the weather, Justify will be tough to beat
The Preakness doesn’t tend to surprise, so don’t expect a huge score at the top of your ticket. Still, there could be good returns in betting the trifectas and superfectas.
Best bets for the Preakness
All done with your wagering? Then, if you’re of age (and we hope so, because you’re already gambling), go ahead and relax with a cocktail.
The only Black-Eyed Susan recipe you’ll need for the Preakness
Kentucky Derby recap and history
Justify won the first leg of the Triple Crown by decisively Good Magic by 2½ lengths with Audible another head behind. “He’s a superior horse,” said Bob Baffert, who joined Ben A. Jones as the trainers to win the race at least five times.
Justify wins 144th Kentucky Derby in commanding performance
For the first time in 95 years, one sire produced four entrants at one Derby, including Justify. But that horse, Scat Daddy, died unexpectedly at 11 just as his line was being established.
The Kentucky Derby field is dominated by a horse who died in 2015
Before Justify, the Run for the Roses had not been won by an entrant who had not raced as a 2-year-old since 1882, a time so long ago in American sporting history that its details sound almost foreign.
In the 1882 Kentucky Derby, Apollo pulled off a feat that’s still unmatched
How do thoroughbreds get their names? The rules are surprisingly complex, and the results surprisingly amusing.
Justify? Solomini? How the Kentucky Derby horses get their names.
