Undefeated Triple Crown winner JUSTIFY arrived back at trainer Bob Baffert’s Southern California homebase at Santa Anita Park on Sunday, one day after parading before fans enjoying the “Downs After Dark” program at Churchill Downs.
“It’s been great here in Louisville,” assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said. “We’re excited to get back home but hopefully we’ll be back later this year.”
Justify left the site of his Kentucky Derby (G1) victory and traveled to the Louisville airport, where he departed at 9:37 a.m. (ET) on Sunday. Following an approximately 3 1/2-hour flight, the chestnut colt landed at Ontario International Airport at 1:07 p.m. (PT) and was then vanned, with a four-vehicle escort from the Arcadia Police Department, to Santa Anita Park.
Baffert, jockey Mike Smith, the media and a number of fans all greeted the Scat Daddy sophomore as he stepped off the Bob Hubbard Horse Transport van at 2:36 p.m. and settled back into Barn 5 at Santa Anita.
Justify is scheduled to parade at Santa Anita on June 23 between races. The track will give away Triple Crown posters to the first 4,000 people with paid admission, and Smith will be on hand to sign the posters from 10:30-11-30 a.m.
