The race is over and history has been made. Justify, the three-year-old chestnut colt, completed his improbable Triple Crown journey with a dominating win at the 2018 Belmont Stakes. Justify was the Belmont’s wire-to-wire leader, jumping to a lead out of the gate and never relinquishing it.
Justify is now the 13th horse to win the greatest honor of horse-racing, and only the second since 1998. The win also gave trainer Bob Baffert his second Triple Crown winner along with 2015’s American Pharoah, as well his record 15th Triple Crown race win.
The internet, naturally, had plenty to say about the racing history being made.
Twitter reacts to Justify’s Triple Crown win
Justify ran a beautiful race. That was awesome.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) June 9, 2018
Wire. To. Wire.
That was Triple Crown worthy.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 9, 2018
Justify becomes the 13th Triple Crown winner in horse racing history. Just an incredible feat to do this 111 days after he made his racing debut.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) June 9, 2018
Justify did something remarkable in winning six races in 111 days, five of them going two turns. This is something you likely won't ever see again. We can discuss where he fits from an historical perspective at another time. For now it's just congratulation on an amazing feat.
— Andy Serling (@andyserling) June 9, 2018
As impressed as people were by Justify’s win, even more people had sports jokes ready.
Justify still needs to win three more to catch Jordan.
— Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) June 9, 2018
Is Justify ruining horse racing?
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) June 9, 2018
Now the big question: Is Justify going to the White House?
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) June 9, 2018
The trophy for winning the Triple Crown should just be a freakin pile of apples and carrots and oats and nothing for the owner or trainer
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) June 9, 2018
Last 3 Triple Crown winners:
2018: Justify
2015: American Pharoah
2012: Miguel Cabrera— Freep Sports (@freepsports) June 9, 2018
Going beyond Justify and his Triple Crown win, NFL Twitter was all over the race’s second-place finisher. That horse’s name: Gronkowski.
With the human Rob Gronkowski in attendance, the horse Gronkowski put together the most unexpected performance of the race. In his first race on American soil, on a professional dirt track and going more than a mile, the horse Gronk went from last place to an oh-so-close second place finish over the course of the race.
Just not sure you can Justify a Gronkowski trade now
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) June 9, 2018
Gronkowski finished second. Would have finished first had he not been out late last night.
Clearly the Patriots dynasty is dead. MY COLUMN
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) June 9, 2018
Gronkowski would have won if he hadn’t skipped OTAs. Clearly out of shape.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) June 9, 2018
Gronkowski finished second again.
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) June 9, 2018
first time i've ever seen Gronkowski unable to catch something
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 9, 2018
Of course, the most important reaction comes from our nation’s preeminent horse racing analyst, Martha Stewart.
Just watched justify win the Belmont and the triple crown What a wonderful horse and a kind rider
— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) June 9, 2018
Indeed, Martha.
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