BALTIMORE – 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. But that was two weeks ago, and once the Triple Crown has commenced, attention focuses not on what happened but on what the future holds. Can he do it again? The answer will come late Saturday afternoon here at Pimlico when the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, is run for the 143rd time. Justify’s trainer, Bob Baffert, has won this race six times, one short of the record. Four of those wins came with horses with whom Baffert had won the Derby, so Justify will try to give him a high five of Derby winners who repeated in the Preakness. “All my horses who won the Derby, they were getting better,” said Baffert, adding that he’s seeing the same signs in Justify. “He’s just going up. He’s getting better.” Baffert said the late start for Justify this spring necessitated that he raced him into shape. Baffert believes Justify won his early races largely on natural talent. Now that Justify has gotten through the Derby, he’s caught up and has an even more solid foundation, Baffert said. “He’s fit now,” Baffert said. “Physically and mentally, he’s ready.” :: Visit DRF's one-stop shop for Preakness PPs, guides, and more! Baffert has been able to control the progression of Justify, trying to strike the right balance of fitness without overdoing it in the narrow window he had to get him to the Derby after his belated debut. What he can’t control is the weather, which has been miserable here this week. That – along with seven rivals – is the challenge Justify faces in the Preakness. Yes, Justify won the Derby over a track that was sloppy owing to day-long rain, and he skipped over it, setting fast early fractions, indicative of the firm footing he found under that standing water. Here at Pimlico, though, the near-certain off track on Saturday could be considerably different from what he raced on at Churchill Downs. Rain pummeled the track Thursday morning and was forecast to last through Saturday. So, owing to full race cards scheduled for Thursday and Friday, plus plenty of action earlier on Saturday, the track is likely to be more muddy than sloppy by post time for the Preakness. Justify has handled everything thrown his way, acting like a horse with far more experience. At the Derby, with the tumult of a crowded paddock, “he walked in there and walked out like no big deal,” Baffert said. But this footing has the potential to be more demanding and thus compromise his brilliance. Justify has an effortless stride. For his size – he towers over his rivals – he has smooth, graceful action. “His mechanics, he just covers the ground so effortlessly,” Baffert said. The question is if he will get over this off track as well as he did at Churchill Downs. “I’d rather have it wet and sloppy than drying out, where it sucks your shoes off,” Baffert said. “I think he’s a horse who brings his track with him. A really good horse, he runs on anything.” Justify will be an odds-on favorite in the Preakness. His dominance in the Derby scattered most of his rivals to the wind. Of the 19 who faced him in Louisville, only three are back to try again, including runner-up Good Magic, along with Bravazo (sixth) and Lone Sailor (eighth). The other four runners – Diamond King, Quip, Sporting Chance, and Tenfold – did not run in the Derby. Good Magic is the clear second choice. On the lines of both Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, and Pimlico’s Keith Feustle he is the only horse besides Justify whose odds are listed at less than 12-1. “He’s going to have to run the best race of his life to turn the tables on Justify,” Chad Brown, the trainer of Good Magic, said Thursday. Brown said he thought Good Magic’s Derby performance was his best race yet. “Most years, his effort in the Derby would have been a winning effort,” Brown said. “He was valiant in defeat. We’re optimistic he’s going to run well. He never disappoints.” :: View a list of resources and content related to the 2018 Preakness Trainer D. Wayne Lukas sends out both Bravazo and Sporting Chance in hopes of beating Justify and staying ahead of Baffert. The two Hall of Fame trainers are tied in Preakness wins with six – one behind the record of seven won by R. Wyndham Walden in the late 1800s. Lukas leads Baffert by one in overall Triple Crown victories, 14-13. Bravazo’s start in the Derby came six weeks after he flopped in the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, that coming four weeks after he won the Risen Star there. “He got very little out of the Louisiana Derby in terms of progression,” Lukas said, “so he basically had one good effort in 10 weeks. That’s tough. He ran big in the Derby. He’s a very tough horse with no ‘back up’ to him.” The erratic Sporting Chance was fourth in the Pat Day Mile in his last start. In two of his six prior starts – the Hopeful and Blue Grass – he ducked out sharply in the stretch. Quip, second last time out in the Arkansas Derby, is an intriguing entrant in that he is owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, entities that are part of the extensive partnership in Justify, putting Quip in position to derail a Triple Crown bid from his own camp. He has speed and drew the rail, so he could be sent from there and have Justify sitting just outside of him. “We’ll let him break and see where he puts himself,” trainer Rodolphe Brisset said Thursday. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the lead. It depends on what the others do. But we know he’s pretty fast from the gate.” Lone Sailor owns only one win, against maidens, in nine starts, but he was a close second in the Louisiana Derby in his race before the Kentucky Derby. Diamond King last month won the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel, which provides an automatic berth in the Preakness. His trainer, John Servis, won the Derby and Preakness in 2004 with Smarty Jones. The lightly raced Tenfold was fifth in the Arkansas Derby in his last start, the third of his career. His sire, Curlin, won the Preakness in 2007. The Preakness goes as race 13 on a 14-race card that begins at 10:30 a.m. Eastern and is set to conclude at 7:35 p.m. Post time for the Preakness is 6:48 p.m. The Preakness will be televised live by NBC in a broadcast beginning at 5 p.m. There is coverage of the day’s events from 2:30 p.m. to 5 on NBCSN. Radio coverage on HRRN begins at 3 p.m. There is a $2 million guarantee in the late pick four and a $1 million guarantee in the late pick five, both ending with the Preakness. There are seven other stakes earlier on the card, three of them graded, most notably the Grade 2, $250,000 Dixie for older turf horses, featuring last year’s male turf champ, World Approval, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile. POST HORSE/SIRE TRACK ODDS WATCHMAKER ODDS BEST BEYER DERBY FINISH, BEYER JAY PRIVMAN AND MIKE WATCHMAKER COMMENTS - designates Keeneland Sale grad 1 Quip 12-1 12-1 94 ** JP: Has overlapping ownership with Justify. Two good efforts so far this year, should get a decent trip.   by Distorted Humor         MW: It's a good bet that he'll do what Justify doesn't do. He'll sit if Justify goes, he'll go if Justify rates.   Owner: WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & SF Racing; Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset; Jockey: Florent Geroux               2 Lone Sailor  15-1 30-1 95 8th, 89 JP: Didn't break well in Derby, but saved ground whole way. Some traffic 3/8s, but good trip overall.   by Majestic Warrior         MW: Derby trouble line in his pps says "stymied." Lacked room for a bit on far turn, was empty late.   Owner: G M B Racing; Trainer: Tom Amoss; Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.               3 Sporting Chance  30-1 30-1 91 ** JP: Reportedly refused to work Sunday. Winless in four starts at 3, erratic behavior always a concern.   by Tiznow         MW: His form isn't going anywhere, either. Seems like he wants some R and R instead of more racing.   Owner: Robert Baker and William Mack; Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas; Jockey: Luis Contreras               4 Diamond King  30-1 30-1 84 ** JP: Earned berth via "Win and You're In" Tesio. Likely to end up chasing Justify early, which is not ideal.   by Quality Road         MW: An ungraded race should never be a "WAYI" for a classic. Lucky he's not blocking a better horse.   Owner: Cash Is King, D J Stable, & L C Racing; Trainer: John Servis; Jockey: Javier Castellano               5 Good Magic  3-1 5-2 100 2nd, 99 JP: Was sitting on a big race in Derby, fired, was second best. Running here as Belmont never an option.   by Curlin         MW: Ran well in Derby as he was close to Justify's pace, but it's difficult seeing him turning the tables.   Owner: e Five Thoroughbreds & Stonestreet Stables; Trainer: Chad Brown; Jockey: Jose Ortiz               6 Tenfold 20-1 20-1 92 ** JP: Looks like ambitious spot for a lightly raced colt who had every chance in Ark. Derby but was outrun.   by Curlin         MW: Simply not fast enough from the standpoint of speed figures to contend, but has room to improve.   Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds; Trainer: Steve Asmussen; Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.               7 Justify  1-2 2-5 107 1st, 103 JP: Set wicked Derby pace, kept going. Has come a long way in brief time. Makes fifth start in 13 weeks.   by Scat Daddy         MW: His Derby effort was tremendous. If he's as special as he seems, his schdedule won't mean a thing.   Owner: WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Starlight Racing, & Head of Plains Partners; Trainer: Bob Baffert; Jockey: Mike Smith               8 Bravazo 20-1 30-1 93 6th, 91 JP: Ran far better than expected in Derby. Bumped at start, wide throughout, kept to task until late.   by Awesome Again         MW: He still was beaten eight lengths, but agree, his Derby effort was okay, can get a small piece here.   Owner: Calumet Farm; Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas; Jockey: Luis Saez