Belmont Clocker: Justify looks right at home in first visit to track

BELMONT PARK
Thursday, June 7
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 61
Track: Fast

ELMONT, N.Y. – All 10 members of this year’s Belmont Stakes field went to the track to train at Belmont Park on Thursday, but naturally it was the undefeated Justify who commanded everyone’s attention when making his first local appearance shortly after the track re-opened at 8:45 a.m. following the renovation break.

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And Justify did not disappoint his legion of admirers. Looking like a horse who’d been training on Big Sandy all his life, Justify turned in an absolutely eye-catching 1 1/2-mile gallop, cruising along at a crisp pace, actually increasing the tempo as he breezed down the stretch, ears pricked, before finally pulling up about where he started on the clubhouse turn. Hard to find any chink in the armor of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, who handled his new surroundings without turning a hair while giving every impression he remains on top of his game despite the grueling schedule he’s kept since beginning his run toward a potential Triple Crown less than four months ago.

Hofburg’s growing legion of supporters had to be glad to see their favorite show a little higher energy level galloping here this morning than he had each of the two previous days since shipping down from his regular base at Saratoga. Although still not tugging his rider around as he had at Churchill Downs in the weeks leading up to the Derby, Hofburg did pick up his pace to near a two-minute clip for much of the way, the lone hiccup coming near the end of his session when he ducked out suddenly after seemingly catching sight of a trio of I Love New York signs attached to the inside rail approaching the finish line.

Tenfold trained over the main track here for the first time since arriving from Louisville earlier this week, schooling in the starting gate before galloping once around the 1 1/2-mile oval while equipped with draw reins to give his rider better control. He, too, made a very favorable appearance while, like Hofburg, also shying away from the signage near the wire.

Bravazo was the first of the Belmont 10 to train on Thursday, within minutes after the track opened for business at 5:30 a.m., and he seemed to be traveling a bit smoother than he had the previous morning.

The Todd Pletcher duo of Noble Indy and Vino Rosso, wearing their Belmont Stakes saddle towels for the first time, went through their usual regime, backing up to the top of the stretch before galloping approximately a mile and five-eighths. Vino Rosso’s rider did have to work hard to get her horse to switch to the proper lead during the early stages of the session.

Restoring Hope, unlike stablemate Justify, had an easier morning, jogging five furlongs on the outside fence the wrong way before reversing direction and galloping an easy five-eighths while accompanied by the Bob Baffert-trained, multiple Grade 1-winning filly Abel Tasman.