Thirteenth Triple Crown Champion in 100 Years

Justify became the winner of the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes today, and, doing so, became just the 13th 3-year-old colt to win the Triple Crown of American racing.  He also joins Seattle Slew as only the second horse to win the Triple Crown undefeated.  Breaking from the number one post position in a field of ten, the big chestnut colt led the way all around the race course.  He was challenged twice, by Vino Rosso at the final turn, and by a hard-charging Gronkowski in the final furlong, but Justify had the grit and determination to kick on and win.
   Gronkowski finished in second place 1 and 3/4 lengths behind Justify, and the same distance infront of Hofburg.  Hofburg was a neck ahead of Vino Rosso, and they were followed across the finish line by Tenfold, Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, Restoring Hope, Blended Citizen and Noble Indy.
   The fastest time ever in the Belmont was Secretariat's 2:24 in 1973.  The times today were :23.37 for the first quarter mile; :48.11 for the half; 1:13.21 for three-quarters; 1:38.09 for the mile; and Justify crossed the mile and a half finish line in 2:28.18.
   The payouts for $2 bets were s follows: Justify to win $3.60; Gronkowki to place $13.80; Hofburg to show $3.70; the exacta paid $89.00; the trifecta paid $459.48; and the superfecta paid $2,103.00.
   Justify ran his first race in February of this year, and won by 9 1/2 lengths.  At an early three years of age, he stands at 16.3 hands, and weighs 1,268 pounds.  His sire, Scat Daddy was born in 2004, and died in 2015; Justify is from his last crop of foals.  His dam is Stage Magic.
   Here are photos of Justify, his sire, dam, and grandsires:

Justify and trainer Bob Baffert

Justify winning the Belmont Stakes

Stage Magic, Justify's dam, and her April 2018 colt

sired by Pioneer of the Nile - born 2007

Ghostzapper, Stage Magic's sire  - born 2000

Scat Daddy, Justify's deceased sire  - 2004-2015

Johannesburg, Scat Daddy's sire - born 1999

Red Ruby, Only Grey Horse in Black-Eyed Susan, Wins

I just get a kick out of the fact that Red Ruby is neither a chestnut nor a red bay.  She is a grey, or roan, filly sired by Tiznow.  She won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes today, on a sealed, but sloppy track, by 4 and 3/4 lengths, under a hand ride.    She stayed outside, comfortably running in second, until the three-eighths pole, when she was asked to run - and run she did.  All the way to the winner's circle.....

Coach Rocks finished in second place, 5 lengths ahead of Indy Unio, who was 4 and 3/4 lengths ahead of fourth place finisher Sara Street.  Goodonehoney, the Maryland-bred filly was fifth, followed by Stakes On a Plane, Tell Your Mama, and Mihrab.   C. S. Incharge was pulled up, and did not finish the race, but she walked off the track and back to her stall with no noticeable problems.

   With a field of only 9, the pay-outs are the betting were low.  These are results for a $2 bet:  Red Ruby, to win, $7.80; Coach Rocks, to place, $4.20; Indy Union, to show, $4.60; the exacta paid $30.60; the trifecta paid $255.80;and the superfecta paid $950.60.

   Good luck betting tomorrow on the Preakness!  They think they'll have a wet track, so Justify just might win again....

Monomoy Girl Wins 2018 Kentucky Oaks

Monomoy Girl, the chestnut daughter of Tapizar and Drumette, broke from the outside starting position (14), had a stretch duel with Wonder Gadot, and then had to survive a claim of foul by Wonder Gadot's jockey.  She overcame all of that and won the 144th running of the Kentucky Oaks by a half length this afternoon.

Wonder Gadot was 3 and 3/4 lengths in front of Midnight Bisou, who finished a half length in front of Eskimo Kisses.   The returns for a $2 bet were: for Monomoy Girl to win, $7.20; for Wonder Gadot to place, $14.00, and for Midnight Bisou to show, $3.20.  The Exacta paid $96.80, the Trifecta paid $362.40, and the Superfecta paid $2,774.80 - all for a correct $2 wager.

  The full order of finish in the Kentucky Oaks:

1.     Monomoy Girl

2.     Wonder Gadot

3.     Midnight Bisou

4.     Eskimo Kisses

5.     Chocolate Martini

6.     Sassy Sienna

7.     Coach Rocks

8.     Kelly's Humor

9.     Heavenhasmynikki

10.   Classy Act

11.   My Miss Lilly

12.   Patrona Margarita

13.   Rayya

14.   Take Charge Paula

Always Dreaming Wins Kentucky Derby

Always Dreaming, a bay son of Bodemeister, won yesterday's Kentucky Derby in a time of 2 minutes and 3.59 seconds over a sloppy track.  The colt, out of the In Excess (Ire) mare Above Perfection, began the race as the betting favorite.  He hung back, allowing State of Honor to lead for almost 3/4  of a mile, then Always Dreaming moved into another gear for jockey John Velazquez, and won by 2 and 3/4 lengths.  Lookin At Lee finished second, five lengths ahead of Battle of Midway.  A length further back there was a photo for fourth through seventh place.  The Irish-bred colt Thunder Snow, came out of the starting gate slowly, and then began to buck.  He was pulled up by his jockey, but had no injury.
    A $2 win bet on Always Dreaming paid $11.40; a $2 place bet on Lookin At Lee paid $26.60; and a $2 show bet on Battle of Midway paid $20.80.  A $2 exacta bet paid $336.20; a $2 trifecta bet paid $16,594.40; and a $2 superfecta bet paid $151,949.00.

Always Dreaming galloping out after winning the 2017 Kentucky Derby.

The complete order of finish follows:

1     Always Dreaming

2     Lookin At Lee

3     Battle of Midway

4     Classic Empire

5     Practical Joke

6     Tapwrit

7     Gunnevera

8     McCraken

9     Gormley

10   Irish War Cry

11   Hence

12   Untrapped

13   Girvin

14   Patch

15   J Boys Echo

16   Sonneteer

17   Fast and Accurate

18   Irap

19   State of Honor

dnf    Thunder Snow