Justify to be paraded ontrack Saturday night

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – An encore appearance by the newly minted Triple Crown winner Justify will be an added bonus for fans during the Saturday night card at Churchill Downs.

Track officials announced Tuesday that trainer Bob Baffert and the ownership partners in Justify have granted permission for the colt to be paraded on the racetrack and in the paddock and winner’s circle between races Saturday, with a final announcement on exact times due Wednesday. First post Saturday is 6 p.m. Eastern.

The appearance is expected to be very similar to what occurred here on June 13, 2015, after American Pharoah won the Triple Crown. The attendance of 28,968 from that event remains the highest for a Churchill night card since the record of 38,142 was set in April 2011.

Justify arrived Monday at Churchill following a flight from New York, where last Saturday at Belmont Park he became just the second horse to sweep the Triple Crown while still unbeaten, following Seattle Slew in 1977. The colt is scheduled to leave here Sunday for Baffert’s primary base at Santa Anita in Southern California.

Besides the Justify appearance and five stakes led by the Grade 1 Stephen Foster, the night also will include the presentation of engraved Kentucky Derby trophies to Justify’s connections.