By winning the Belmont Stakes, at Belmont Park just across the bay from the Big Apple, Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner in horse racing history. Justify certainly looks like a champion. He is a beautiful chestnut color, 16.5 inches high and 1,380 pounds of muscle and heart. His sire was Scat Daddy and his dame was Stage Magic. He was foaled on March 28, 2015 and was in the last group of colts that Scat Daddy sired before his surprise passing in 2016, maybe due to “overwork.”
Trainer Bob Baffert has become a legend — sort of the Bill Belichick of horse racing. Baffert trained American Pharoah in 2015 and has more wins than any other trainer to this point. Jockey Mike Smith, at age 52, became the oldest rider to sit astride a Triple Crown winner.
Whereas Pharoah was a very cooperative and easygoing horse who would follow the jockey’s lead, according to trainer Baffert, Justify had no patience with holding back and went all out from start to finish. Jockey Smith said “Justify ran the race. I just held on.”
Justify has run six races as a 3 year old and won all 6. So now it’s on to the good life for the champion who finds himself a sports legend after just three years of life. We will see if he can outdo his prolific father’s record as a stud horse.
Dixon and Honda at Texas
New Zealander Scott Dixon claimed his third career Texas 600 Victory and the current point lead for the IndyCar championship. The DXC Technology 600 at the Texas Motor Speedway was the eighth race of the season and marked the half way point in the 2018 series.
Defending series champ Josef Newgarden put his Team Penske Chevy on the pole with teammate Simon Pagenand next to him. With Indy 500 winner Will Power starting third it looked to be a winning evening for the “Captain” and his crew. But 248 laps is a long way to drive and many things can happen along the way.
Newgarden took the lead and led 56 laps but handling problems caused him to drop out of contention in the second half of the race. It was Dixon who then had the fastest and best handling race car. Starting 7th, Dixon dueled with Pagenand and rookie Robert Wickens before taking control of the race. Wickens made contact with the wall on lap 174 and was out. Will Power tangled with rookie Zachery Clamon DeMelo and was out.
In the second half of the race Pagenand could see that Dixon had the faster car so he held on to second place hoping to catch Dixon in a mistake. Oh, Dixon’s pit crew performed 4 flawless pit stops for him which certainly aided him in his victory. Pagenand finished second, his best finish of the season. Alexander Rossi overcame a lengthy stop to finish third and is now second in point standings. James Hinchcliffe, after his Indy disappointment, finished 4th. Ryan Hunter-Reay was 5th.
So now the second half of the 2018 season begins. The next race is the Kohler Grand Prix at the Road America Course in Elkhart Lake WI on June 24.
Luck Throwing the Ball
At the afternoon practice Tuesday, June 12, Andrew Luck was seen throwing a regulation “Duke” football in public for the first time in a year and half. This is the first real indication that Luck’s rehab has really rounded the corner and that he could be ready for the upcoming 2018 season. More to follow!
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