Justify will attempt to become the 13th member of the Triple Crown champions club. Still, many bettors are going to play against him, trying to hit the big ticket and take home a big pile of cash
After all, Justify worked extremely hard to win the the Kentucky Derby in the mud, then had to fend off late charges to win again in the slop at the Preakness Stakes. Now comes his toughest test yet, the 1 1/2-mile the Belmont Stakes. Plus, there's another chance of rain in the forecast.
But his trainer Bob Baffert, won his first Triple Crown in 2015 with American Pharoah, and knows what it takes to do it again. Jockey Mike Smith is a Hall of Famer, who is looking to become the oldest jockey ever to win the Triple Crown. The 52-year-old jockey stays in great shape year round and is one of the best when he's on the lead wiuth his horse.
I believe Justify can get it done again and remain undefeated. There's not a three year old horse in the country with his speed.
To make some money, if you're putting Justify on top, you'll need to have to be clever with your exacta and trifecta tickets. If you think he's beatable, go for it and think bombs-away with the payouts, He's going to go off around 4-5 at post time, and the average $1 trifecta payout for the last 10 years in the Belmont is $1,241.33.
But there's money to be made with Justify winning the race. With this distance and a large field, anything can happen Here's a look at the race:
Main Contenders
JUSTIFY came out of the Preakness Stakes healthy, and has looked strong with a steady maintenance of morning workouts. I would love to see him get a fast track to run on. I think Smith would have a easier time controlling a moderate pace on a dry surface. Drawing the rail position is only a plus for me. Smith is going to fire Justify out of the gate as the lone early speed in the race. He's bred decently for the distance, so carrying his speed to the stretch run shouldn't be a problem. Now if it rains, it could be a whole new ballgame. He's 3 for 3 in the mud, but he's going to have to work much harder carrying his speed to the finish line. His rivals have a better shot of gathering late momentum and rolling late on a sloppy track.
