Trainer Bob Baffert on Monday said he is not concerned with the condition of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Justify‘s left hind foot after the colt appeared to show signs of being off when presented to the media Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.
“It’s not an issue,” Baffert said. “It was sensitive there. It’s like a diaper rash, what he’s got. He looked great today.
“He did not run down. They call them scratches or whatever. He’s had it before. You get it from wet [tracks] and you have to soften it up. It can be irritating. When he stepped on those rocks [outside the barn], it bit him. That’s why he did that. Because he was fine in the morning and today he was fine.
“He will be going back to the track in a couple of days and everything will be good. He’s responding to the treatment. So we’re good.”
Justify will remain at Churchill Downs under the care of assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes until he ships to Pimlico next week. He is expected to return to the track on Thursday.
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Trainer Steve Asmussen has said that Tenfold, fifth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in his third career start, is probable for the Preakness.
Tenfold worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Monday morning at Churchill Downs.
“He’s a very nice horse that is getting better,” Asmussen said. “I liked his work a lot today. We’re expecting big things from him. I was a touch disappointed (in his Arkansas Derby). He’s better than that.”
Tenfold had previously won twice at Oaklawn.
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Trainer Tom Amoss said that Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Lone Sailor, eighth in the Kentucky Derby, has not ruled out a Preakness bid.
“We’ll see how he trains and make a decision off of that,” he said. “Whether it should be the Preakness or something else, I don’t know. (The Preakness) is not out of the question.”
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Meanwhile, trainer Rodolphe Brisset continues to prepare Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Quip for the Preakness although no official decision has been made about his participation.
Quip, who shares a common ownership with Justify, was kept out of the Kentucky Derby after running second in the Arkansas Derby.
“We got the horse set up to run in the Preakness,” Brisset said. “Like (WinStar Farm’s) Elliott (Walden) said, they like to do the right thing by the horse. We all agreed the Preakness was the best shot for Quip. We did talk that it didn’t matter who won the Derby that we would be pointing him to the Preakness.”
Am holding up with any speak of triple crown. Need to see him get hooked and run inside of horses. Big Brown as good as free RUNNER that he was did not like to run inside competition….and I remember a ton of “experts were touting him as a super horse…right Gary?