Justify is a monster 1-2 favorite in the 2018 Preakness Stakes. He blazed through the Kentucky Derby on an off-track and now races in the second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico on Saturday at 6:20 p.m. ET. However, an injury to his hind leg could put a wrench into the 2018 Preakness.
On Top of the Line Sports Network of Horse Experts said that following the Kentucky Derby, Justify was given a patch to protect a bruised hind leg.
“It looked like his two hind legs were a little out of sync. “He might have a quarter crack and they put a patch over it, but a quarter crack could cause an infection. It would feel like his hoof is in a pressure cooker if he ran in the slop and got something lodged underneath it. There’s enough suspicion there.”
Suspicion has even come from other trainers. Chad Brown, trainer of Good Magic (3-1), first started thinking about running his horse in the Preakness the day after he saw Justify limping after the Derby.
Good Magic, like Justify, ran well on the off-track at Churchill Downs and could see similar conditions on Saturday in Baltimore given rain in the forecast on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning. If Justify’s injury flares up, Good Magic could be galloping towards the finish line with a win in tow.
They also pointed out that a person who works with Lone Sailor (25-1) also watched Justify’s hind legs following the Derby and said they weren’t in sync.
It might not be all doom-and-gloom for Justify, though. His workout on Thursday morning “looked good. He had an easy workout and his hind legs were in sync.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has more Preakness wins than anyone and will come armed with Bravazo and Sporting Chance, also said Justify “looked good” in practice.
Still, a sloppy track like the one we’ll likely see at Pimlico Race Course could complicate the injury.
If Justify goes into the race on a sloppy track and had the injury just two weeks ago, it would be something to worry about.
But Nobody gets a horse ready after a two-week layoff than Bob Baffert.
He’s not worried about it & He wouldn’t risk the horse if it were something serious.”
The Preakness will be Justify’s fifth race in two months. The favorite could get bet down to 1-5 odds come race day.
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