Justify wows Baffert in seven-furlong drill

ARCADIA, Calif. – Justify, the unbeaten early-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby, will ship to Churchill Downs in peak condition after a strong seven-furlong workout Friday at Santa Anita.

Working at 6:30 over a freshly renovated surface on a cool, overcast morning, Justify broke off at the 5 1/2-furlong marker, three to four lengths behind a workmate. Justify caught his rival at the finish, completed his seven-furlong drill on the clubhouse turn, and galloped out a mile. He did it easily.

“That’s what you want to see,” trainer Bob Baffert said immediately afterward. “You want to see a horse that’s enjoying what he’s doing. He worked well, and got something out of it.”

Drayden Van Dyke, who piloted Justify to his maiden victory on Feb. 18, was aboard for the work Friday morning. Mike Smith, the colt’s jockey for his subsequent wins in an allowance race and the Santa Anita Derby, will ride Justify in the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert declined to identify the workmate, except to say Justify was “working with a nice horse.”

:: Get both the Kentucky Derby and Oaks Clocker Reports for just $19.95!

What impressed Baffert about the work was the colt’s willingness to follow a rival comfortably, his final time, and his finish.

“He trailed that horse pretty nice,” Baffert said.

Justify, who won the Santa Anita Derby leading wire to wire, was content to chase his work rival. When Justify reached the finish wire, 5 1/2 furlongs into the work, Baffert instructed Van Dyke to go on with it.

“I told him to take off, and he just took off,” Baffert said.

Justify accelerated into the clubhouse turn, and finished with energy. Baffert timed his splits in 12.40, 24.40, 36.60, 49.20, 1:00.80, 1:12.60, and 1:25 before galloping out a mile in 1:39.80.

Clockers gave Justify an official seven-furlong workout time of 1:25.20. It was his second workout since the Santa Anita Derby; Justify worked six furlongs April 21.

Justify is scheduled to ship Monday to Kentucky, where he will try to become the first horse since 1882 to win the Derby having not raced as a 2-year-old. Justify won his debut by 9 1/2 lengths, followed by a facile allowance victory at one mile, and the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby. All three starts were at Santa Anita.

Justify also will try to become the sixth consecutive winning favorite in the Derby.

“That favorite thing, I can’t worry about that,” Baffert said. “There are some really good horses in there.”

Andy Harrington, workout analyst for National Turf, was effusive in his praise of Justify following the Friday workout.

“They’ve put a lot on his plate, and he has responded with ease,” Harrington said. “He does everything effortlessly; there’s not one scrap of stress about him. It doesn’t seem like anything fazes him.”