LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The weather and routine were a bit different Friday morning when Justify went out for exercise, but the bottom line was the same – all is well with the superstar colt as the June 9 Belmont Stakes drew another day closer.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – D. Wayne Lukas knows as well as anyone what’s important in training racehorses, but even he believes the meaning of a workout can be overstated. So, after Lukas sent Bravazo through a one-mile drill Thursday morning at Churchill Downs with Danielle Rosier aboard, he wasn’t about to pick apart every detail.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If trainer Bob Baffert had his way, what remains of the time between the Preakness and Belmont Stakes would quickly vanish. Justify looked so good in his first post-Preakness breeze Tuesday at Churchill Downs that Baffert started talking about running the superstar colt back as soon as possible.

“I wish the race was this week,” Baffert said with a smile, “but, you know, we’ve got another week to go. I think we’re in great shape.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Triple Crown hopeful Justify went a quick half-mile Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs in his first breeze since his Preakness Stakes victory as the superstar colt continues to please his Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert.

Amid a light rain and with Martin Garcia in from California to ride him, Justify went a half-mile in 46.80 seconds before going out five furlongs in 59.60, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols.

Afterward, Baffert was all smiles.

ELMONT, N.Y. – His name may be the most recognizable of any of the prospective starters for this year’s Belmont Stakes. No, not Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify, but the European invader Gronkowski, the namesake of NFL All-Pro Rob Gronkowski who worked for the first time Saturday since joining Chad Brown’s barn here earlier this month.

Gronkowski was one of two 3-year-olds who could foil Justify’s attempt to win the Triple Crown to work Saturday at Belmont. He was joined by Blended Citizen, impressive winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan in his local debut May 12.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Gronkowski did enough in his combine drill Saturday at Belmont Park to keep his hopes alive of being drafted into the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes here June 9.

In his first workout since being transferred to trainer Chad Brown, Gronkowski worked a half-mile in 47.91 seconds and galloped out extremely well afterward, going six furlongs in 1:13.55. Gronkowski worked in company with the graded stakes-winning 3-year-old Engage, who is pointing to the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes card.

At Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify was sent through another routine gallop when going about 1 1/2 miles on Saturday morning under regular exercise rider Humberto Gomez as the unbeaten colt continues to train toward the 150th Belmont Stakes on June 9.

“We changed it up this morning,” deadpanned Jimmy Barnes, the Bob Baffert assistant who is temporarily overseeing the daily training of the Churchill string. “We backed up to the eighth pole” instead of the wire, which has been customary. “Galloped a good mile and a half again.”

BELMONT PARK 
Friday, May 25
Track: Fast   
Weather: Clear   
Temp.: 63

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Belmont Stakes is now just 15 days away, and that means things will start getting a lot more serious in the morning for the dozen or so 3-year-olds under consideration for the final leg of the Triple Crown, including Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Audible, deemed by many the biggest threat to derail Justify’s bid for a Triple Crown, will not run in the June 9 Belmont Stakes, his connections announced Friday.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he does not feel that Audible, the Grade 1 Florida Derby winner, is training the way he was prior to the Kentucky Derby, where he finished third, and plans call for him to be freshened for a summer campaign that could begin in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 28.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify went through another uneventful training session for the June 9 Belmont Stakes amid perfect weather at Churchill Downs Friday morning.

The colt was first out on a freshly harrowed surface at 7:30 a.m. before proceeding through a gallop of a little more than 1 1/2 miles in his second day of training since the May 19 Preakness.