News

Justify wins Belmont to become 13th Triple Crown champ

8 years ago in Sports

Kentucky Derby winner Justify is cleaned outside a barn, Friday, May 18, 2018, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Preakness Stakes horse race is scheduled to take place Saturday, May 19. Photo: Associated Press/Patrick Semansky

NEW YORK (AP) — Justify led all the way to win the Belmont Stakes by 1¾ lengths and become horse racing’s 13th Triple Crown champion and second in four years.

The chestnut colt is the second undefeated colt to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, improving to 6-0 in a racing career that began on Feb. 18. Seattle Slew was unbeaten when he won the Triple Crown in 1977.

Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, Justify went to the lead out of the starting gate and led nine rivals around the track’s sweeping turns on Saturday. He’s the first Triple Crown winner to face that many rivals in the 1½-mile Belmont.

Bob Baffert became the second trainer to win the Triple Crown twice. He did so with American Pharoah in 2015, ending a 37-year drought.

At 52, Mike Smith is the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown.

Recent Headlines

1 day ago in Sports

NFL and referees agree on a 7-year collective bargaining agreement, avoiding potential work stoppage

The NFL and the NFL Referees Association agreed Friday on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that avoids a potential work stoppage and use of replacement officials.

1 day ago in Sports

Djokovic beaten by a Croatian qualifier 18 years younger than him at the Italian Open

Novak Djokovic was beaten by a Croatian qualifier 18 years younger than him at the Italian Open on Friday in his first match after two months out due to a right shoulder injury.

1 day ago in Sports

Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander each score 22 as Thunder take 2-0 lead over Lakers in West semis

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.

1 day ago in Sports

Cade Cunningham has 25 points and 10 assists to lift Pistons past Cavs 107-97 for a 2-0 lead

Cade Cunningham had 25 points and 10 assists, Tobias Harris scored 21 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series.

2 days ago in Sports, Trending

March Madness tournaments will expand to 76 teams each starting next season

The NCAA announced Thursday that it will expand its two March Madness tournaments by eight teams each next season, a long-expected move that will drop more games into the first week of the highly popular and lucrative showcase without substantially changing its overall form.