Justify. What a moment for the sport of Horse Racing. It’s second Triple Crown winner in four years. Incredible accomplishment for Bob Baffert, and the whole group surrounding an improbable run by a horse who was completely unknown a few months ago. It is an amazing story, but not without controversy. Let me address this head on. Horse racing has always featured races with multiple horses trained by the same trainer. This is not new to the sport. It isn’t the breaking of any rule. It is entirely acceptable. No one should be complaining about this. Baffert should be getting a ‘job well done,’ pat on the back. He used the system to his advantage. All successful athletes, coaches, and GMs use the rules to their advantage in any professional sport. That isn’t cheating. It is outwitting your foes. Horse racing presents a most unusual scenario to take advantage of. It is seen in other races, such as auto racing. You race in teams. You use one member of the team set the pace, dictate the flow of the race, control the position of the racers, and more. That is how racing has always worked. If you have a problem with it, petition to change the rules. Collusion is welcomed to an extent in auto and horse racing. Justify, along with Baffert, amazingly used the art of team racing to masterfully outsmart the competition. Their plan was drawn up perfectly, and executed without fail. Don’t fault the team, or the accomplishment. Justify deserves all the praise.
Phil Your Day 