Triple Crown winner Justify won't race in Travers Stakes

A summer trip to Saratoga is off for Triple Crown winner Justify.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Monday that it’s “doubtful” the popular colt, who became just the 13th Triple Crown winner in thoroughbred racing history last month, will be running at Saratoga Race Course in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 25.

In fact, Baffert said there are no plans for the horse to run anywhere this summer. Justify is dealing with filling (swelling) in his left front ankle and has not done any training. If he does run again, his last scheduled race would likely be the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November.

“Everything is on hold right now,” Baffert said by cellphone from his summer base at Del Mar Race Track. “I would say (the Travers) is doubtful. He looks like he is fine, he is not unsound. He had a little filling and it went away, but then it came back. He must have strained it.”

The extent of the colt’s daily exercise is walking outside of Baffert’s barn.

Justify has not had a published workout since June 4 at Churchill Downs. That was the Monday before he went to Belmont Park and won the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown. The son of Scat Daddy has won all six of his career races. He didn’t race as a 2-year-old and had his first start in February.

After the Triple Crown, Justify spent a week at Churchill before being flown back to Baffert’s barn at Santa Anita in California. That’s when the problems started. Baffert said the original summer plan for Justify was going to include a race in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and then possibly a trip to Saratoga.

“I was sort of counting on him (for the Travers),” Baffert said. “But I don’t want to go up there if I can’t win. He has to be 100 percent. We want to make sure he is fine.”

With Justify out of the Midsummer Derby, Baffert said he doesn’t have any other 3-year-olds in his barn that he would consider running in the race.

Baffert has been a major player in the past three Travers Stakes. He won last year with West Coast and the year before with Arrogate. In 2015, he brought Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to the Spa, and his appearance created a major buzz.

The day before that Travers, American Pharoah drew a crowd of 15,000 at 8:30 in the morning to watch him gallop around the race track. American Pharoah was upset in the Travers by Keen Ice.

Only one Triple Crown winner, Whirlaway in 1941, has won the Travers.

Baffert said that has nothing to do with Justify not trying it.

“I didn’t have a problem running American Pharoah there,” Baffert said.

The trainer said that Justify will be reevaluated in the next few weeks. Even if he were to be given a clean bill of health, there isn’t enough time for Baffert to get him into peak racing shape.

“All I know is that he won’t be doing anything for the next couple of weeks,” Baffert said. “Everything had been going great until we got him back (to California). I would love to see him run again, but, right now, I just can’t say.”

Although it has not been officially announced, it has been reported that once Justify’s racing career is over, he will begin a career as a stallion at Coolmore America in Versailles, Kentucky. The deal has been for a reported $60 million. That is also the current home of American Pharoah.

WinStar Farm, also located in Versailles, is the majority owner of Justify. Elliott Walden, the president, CEO and racing manager of the farm, said, “It’s tough that we can’t make the Travers. But I rely on Bob to make these decisions.”