Justify's medical history and more Preakness Stakes links

Some links in preparations for Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course:

Justify's top foe at Preakness may be his own hind leg, reports Melissa Hoppert of the New York Times. "The racing gods can be generous, but they can also be cruel. No horse — and no owner — is immune to the ups and downs. When Justify was a yearling, X-rays revealed he had osteochondritis dissecans in the stifle joint, meaning the bone did not develop properly. He had surgery and came out well, his breeder Tanya Gunther said."

Justify looking to show his brilliance on a muddy track, reports Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form. "Less than three months ago, Justify hadn’t even raced. Wrap your head around that fact. In 76 days, he went from an unraced maiden to the winner of the Kentucky Derby, an unprecedented feat in modern times and illustrative of the natural talent he possesses. What he accomplished at Churchill Downs cannot be overstated."

Justify could be on same level as American Pharoah, writes Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun. “I think he’s a real star already,” said NBC race announcer and Bowie product Larry Collmus, who called the 2015 Triple Crown and Justify’s Derby victory. “As for reaching American Pharoah’s level, I think he absolutely could. He’s got the size, the name, the trainer, he’s undefeated.”

Justify will chase history in weather that could be Biblical, writes Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post. "By midday Friday, the eve of the running of the 143rd Preakness Stakes, the rain and mud threatened to overtake Pimlico Race Course. Water collected in puddles and ran in streamlets in the nooks and crannies of the ancient, creaking building. Bulldozers, pickup trucks and bucket brigades crisscrossed the grounds, moving the wet stuff from one place to another. The track itself, by then a brown, elliptical lake, should have been downgraded from 'sloppy' to 'biblical.'"

Chad Brown is confident about Good Magic's chances, writes Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union. "Brown, who was confident heading into the Kentucky Derby, said he is again confident his horse will run well in the Preakness. Whether that's good enough to beat Derby winner Justify remains to be seen. Justify, the 1-2 morning line favorite in the Preakness, beat Good Magic by 2 ½ lengths in the Derby."

Brian Nadeu handicaps the race for Brooklyn Backstretch. "#7 Justify (1-2): Derby winner made a mockery of the dreaded “Curse of Apollo” when he aired in Louisville to become the first winner since 1882 to wear roses without running as a two-year-old, and he did it in devastating fashion, too, after pressing a wicked pace yet still having plenty to hold off ‘Magic in the lane. Son of Scat Daddy seemingly just keeps getting better for Baffert, who, like Lukas, is going for his seventh win in this race, and with little (winning) appeal from the new shooters, you get the impression we’ve got a match race on our hands, if even that, since the best horse looks like the controlling speed, too."

Preakness brimming with story lines, writes Bob Wisener for Horse Racing Nation. "Good luck also to NBC in filling its prerace coverage Saturday with angles that do not include Justify. How early in the broadcast will Bob Costas or Mike Tirico mention that trainer Bob Baffert won the Preakness with his four previous Kentucky Derby winners? How soon before American Pharoah's name comes up and the parallels to that wonderful colt's Triple Crown sweep in 2015 and what Justify is attempting? Could a block of time be set aside for replays of Preakness classics from, say, 1978 (Affirmed over Alydar) and 1989 (Sunday Silence over Easy Goer)?"

Quip and Rodolphe Brisset take aim at the Preakness, reports Joe Clancy for This is Horse Racing. "Rodolphe Brisset, a former assistant to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, and Quip make their Pimlico debuts Saturday in the 143rd Preakness Stakes. And, if successful paddock schooling means anything, could make an impact on the $1 million race. Quip strolled the indoor paddock, stared down a handful of fans through the clubhouse windows and checked out a few of stalls. He stood, walked, stood, walked some more. Brisset put a saddle pad and tightened a girth on his horse, took it off, put it back on, let the colt stroll and compared the scene to Oaklawn Park – where Quip finished second in the Arkansas Derby in April."

A Preakness cheat sheet from Patrick Reed of America's Best Racing. "Word on the Churchill Downs backstretch during Kentucky Derby week was that the 2017 champion 2-year-old male was sitting on a big performance, and Good Magic delivered with a solid runner-up effort behind racing’s newest superstar, Justify. Now, trainer Chad Brown will attempt to score a Preakness double following his breakthrough win with Cloud Computing last year. The presence of speedy Quip in the Preakness could enhance Good Magic’s chances of turning the tables on Justify, if jockey Jose Ortiz places his mount behind that pair and gets a swift early pace to set up his stalk-and-pounce running style."

Another Preakness cheat sheet, this one from J.J. Hysell ofr Hello Race Fans. "6. Tenfold (20-1) – Like Justify, this Steve Asmussen trainee didn’t race at two and began his racing career in February. As was the case with Justify in the Derby, Tenfold will be shipping to a new track for the first time. His first two races at two turns at Oaklawn Park were rather impressive, but he failed to progress in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, finishing fifth after pressing the pace early under jockey Victor Espinoza."

Baffert's Preakness success points to a Justify win, says Dave Litfin for the Blood-horse. "Those looking to play devil's advocate with the odds-on favorite will point out that Justify required nearly 27 seconds to run the last quarter-mile of the Derby, and came out of the race with a slightly bruised heel. But those things may or may not be relevant. The torrid early pace incinerated several others who were involved in it, and Justify's foot issue seems to have resolved itself in short order."

The 'Bob and Wayne Show' is hard to beat at Preakness, writes Alicia Wincze Hughes of the Blood-horse. "Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas had planted themselves in the other's presence and were swapping jabs and stories in the way only the two men who have seen everything the sport has to offer can. Among their litany of entertaining topics Friday morning were talks about their respective college days, their fraternity experience, and what each had to endure during what passed for 'Hell Week' in their day."

Preakness Stakes 2018 field

This story was originally published May 19, 2018 at 8:26 AM with the headline "Justify's medical history and more Preakness Stakes links."