Belmont draw: Justify to start from 1st inside
Justify has the inside track for the 2018 Belmont Stakes.
Justify has a real shot at the Triple Crown, especially after drawing the 1st post for the 2018 Belmon Stakes during the post position draw on Tuesday. Justify, the Bob Baffert-trained winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, could be the first Triple Crown winner since American Pharoah in 2015.
Bravazo, generally considered to be the top competition for Justify, will start third, with Free Drop Billy between them. Below, you can see the full post positions for the 10-horse field.
- Justify
2. Free Drop Billy
3. Bravazo
4. Hofburg
5. Restoring Hope
6. Gronkowski
7. Tenfold
8. Vino Rosso
9. Noble Indy
10. Blended Citizen
Gronkowski is the horse named after New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Originally expected to compete in the Derby, Gronkowski had to pull out. The horse’s trainers will be hoping he can play spoiler to Justify’s Triple Crown bid, as will the rest of the field.
Trained Baffert, who also trained American Pharoah in 2015, Justify won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, so a Triple Crown bid is definitely on the line. Prior to American Pharoah winning it, 37 years had passed since the previous winner.
Justify is the first horse since American Pharoah to capture both the Derby and the Preakness going into the Belmont. The horse looked phenomenal in those two big wins, and is undefeated. Justify also has the distinction of breaking Apollo’s Curse, referring to Apollo in 1882, the last horse to win the Derby after not being raced as a two-year-old, at least until Justify did this year.
Bravazo is considered one of the top competitors to Justify, finishing sixth at Churchill Downs and second in the Preakness. Justify is, once again, the favorite for the Belmont Stakes.