JUSTIFY LEGEND'S FRANKED AT LAST

Graham Buddry re-opens the case for the Triple Crown brilliance of Bob Baffert's American dream star

- Graham Buddry

If an enormous earthquake along the San Andreas fault caused the western part of California to fall into the sea, we'd notice it.

If a volcanic event in the Canary Islands caused a massive tsunami to smash into America's east coast we'd notice that too.

In racing, however, we may just have a life-changing moment of epic proportions which is going virtually unnoticed. It is, perhaps, a convoluted story where being in the right place at the right time has played a part but when all the strands become fully knitted together this could prove to be one of the defining moments in our sport.

It all began on March 26, 2015, when a chestnut colt was born in Kentucky. His pedigree was exemplary with lines that included Secretariat, War Admiral and, most importantly of all, the greatest sire of the 20th century, Northern Dancer.

Justify, as the youngster wascalled, was sold at the 2016 Keeneland Yearling Sales for half a million dollars and sent to a nearby trainer. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately as things turned out, Justify badly pulled a muscle and missed his twoyear-old season. This allowed him more time to mature and grow into a massive 16.3 frame as he was then transferred to the Santa Anita trainer, Bob Baffert.

On February 18, 2018, Justify raced for the first time in a maiden event. over seven furlongs. Sent off favourite, mostly down to the reputation of the trainer, Justify was so unsure of what to do that he was very slow. out of the stalls before rushing right through to the lead. In this Grade he was not hard-pressed and scored by just under 10 lengths.

The Derby is the top 3yo race in countries around the world but in America the runners have to qualify for the race and Baffert now hatched a plan to that effect.