ELMONT, N.Y. (KFSM)–Triple Crowns historically come in bunches, and that proved to be the case once again.
Just four years after American Pharoah captured the Triple Crown, favorite Justify won the Belmont Stakes in 2:28.18 to become the 13th Triple Crown winner.
Hall of fame jockey Mike Smith rode Justify from the inside post and led wire-to-wire, holding off a late charge from longshot Gronkowski.
Gronkowski ran to a place finish, Hofburg finished in show & Vino Rosso was fourth.
Both Justify and American Pharoah went off as 3/5 favorites to win the Belmont and both followed through.
Bob Baffert, Justify’s trainer, becomes the second trainer ever to have two Triple Crown winning horses. Baffert also trained American Pharoah in 2015.
Justify is the second undefeated Triple Crown champion in history.
