Jockey Mike Smith says the Preakness was the hardest Justify has had to run and talks about how he'll enjoy his first chance to win a Triple Crown. (1:39)

BALTIMORE -- Justify rounded the final turn and hit the top of the stretch winded but with the lead.

The roar from the crowd was delayed, hushed by the thick fog that enveloped the track. When Justify emerged from the haze in view of the grandstand, trainer Bob Baffert could see jockey Mike Smith's white silks and realized his horse had been pushed to his limit with 100 yards left to go.

"I knew he was in for a fight,'' Baffert said. "I knew this was not going to be easy.''

It wasn't easy, but Justify had enough left to hold off several hard-charging challengers and win the 143rd Preakness Stakes on a sloppy, slippery track Saturday to keep alive the chance for a second Triple Crown champion in four years. After winning the most difficult race of his career, Justify has the chance at the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 9 to accomplish the same rare feat Baffert's American Pharoah did in 2015.

"We'll see how he trains,'' Baffert said. "Right now, I don't see why not.''

Just getting through the Preakness was a test for the Kentucky Derby champion and heavy 2-5 favorite. When Smith looked over his shoulder early and saw Good Magic, he thought, "Oh man, it's going to be a match race from this point on.'' And Justify held up to the challenge down the backstretch -- and late, as Bravazo and Tenfold chased him down.

"They tested his fitness today,'' Smith said after his second Preakness win and first since 1993. "This is his hardest race that he's had.''

With Baffert praying for the wire at Pimlico Race Course, Justify won by a half-length after completing the race in 1:55.93. Bravazo edged Tenfold for second, and Good Magic was fourth.

"What I saw of it, I liked it a lot,'' said veteran D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Bravazo. "I want them to extend it another 50 yards. ... We ran at him. We kept him honest just like we said we would.''

Justify held off several hard-charging challengers through a cloud of fog on a sloppy, slippery track Saturday to win the Preakness and keep his Triple Crown hopes alive. Jockey Mike Smith called it the "hardest race that he's had.'' Mike Stewart/AP Photo

Good Magic pressed Justify so much that the Derby runner-up faded near the end of the 1 3/16-mile race and fell out of the money for the first time in his career.

"It just wasn't a good trip,'' Good Magic trainer Chad Brown said. "I would have liked to see a different scenario, maybe where we're just off the pace a little bit, we weren't getting pressed on the fence the whole way. Disappointing.''

That almost happened to Justify. Smith was worried when he saw Good Magic over his shoulder and when Justify slipped early, and he was hoping there was enough left to get to the wire.

Baffert tied Lukas' record with his 14th Triple Crown victory and matched 19th-century trainer R.W. Walden with his seventh Preakness title. Baffert also remained undefeated with Derby winners in the Preakness, following Silver Charm, Real Quiet, War Emblem and American Pharoah.

Justify, who paid $2.80, $2.80 and $2.60 as the deserved favorite and improved to 5-0, showed more evidence of being the same kind of superhorse as American Pharoah, and Baffert has repeatedly drawn comparisons between them. Those will only continue, assuming Justify is good to go for the Belmont in three weeks.

"He has to come out of the race well, and he's got to be training really well,'' Baffert said. "I did the same thing with American Pharoah, all my horses that ran the Triple Crown; they have to be 100 percent.''

Justify looked every bit of 100 percent after a bruised heel in the Derby caused quite the firestorm. A bigger question now is how the lightly raced colt who didn't run as a 2-year-old handles a mile and a half.

Had the Preakness been just a 10th of a mile longer, Justify might have been caught, though Smith thought he had plenty of horse left.

"He withstood that, and even though he got tired today, he was also looking around a bit at the end,'' Smith said. "Although it was a half a length, I certainly could've got after him a whole lot more a little earlier and made him do a little more, as well.''

Justify never had to work this hard to win a race, winning his first four starts by a combined 21½ lengths. He didn't blow away the field of three Derby horses and four new challengers, but he showed something else.

"These great horses, they just define themselves when they get in that situation,'' Baffert said. "He just showed not only is he a big, beautiful, gorgeous horse, but he is all racehorse, and that's what it took to win.''</s>Justify, a 2/5 favorite, won the 143rd Preakness Stakes tonight. This was the 2nd jewel in the Triple Crown at Pimlico.

The weather was brutal with quite the damp and muddy site at Preakness, making visibility extremely difficult.

The official time for Justify, who was led by jockey Mike Smith, was 1:55:93 (unofficial). This secured the second leg heading into Belmont Stakes with the goal of winning the Triple Crown.

The Kentucky Derby winner was neck-and-neck all race with Good Magic, a 7/2 favorite. Owner Bob Baffert described the battle between the two horses as “their own private race.”

Bravazo finished second and Tenfold got third place. Good Magic ended up finishing in fourth. Justify should be the clear favorite heading into Belmont Stakes on June 9.</s>First the rain, then the fog and finally the greatness.

Hooked in a nose-to-nose duel all the way around the track with his primary rival Good Magic, Kentucky Derby winner Justify held on to win the 143rd Preakness on Saturday and will head to the Belmont Stakes on June 9 with a chance to become horse racing’s 13th Triple Crown winner.

Unlike his romp through the Derby, Justify had to gut this one out in the slop, finally putting away from Good Magic in deep stretch but also having to hold off Bravazo, who charged late but came up a neck short. Tenfold was a fast-closing third.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who also trained 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, won his 14th classic race, tying D. Wayne Lukas for most all-time.

Justify #7 ridden by jockey Mike Smith wins the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 19, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland.

All week, the race shaped up as a coronation for Justify, who won the Kentucky Derby by a convincing 2 1/2 lengths and drew immediate comparisons to the likes of American Pharoah and Seattle Slew, the only horse to win the Triple Crown with an undefeated record.

That Justify, a unique physical specimen with blazing early speed, was able to win the Derby at all off just three career races in 77 days, was not only an impressive training feat by Baffert but a testament to the horse’s immense talent.

And for many bettors, who made Justify a massive 2-to-5 favorite at post time, there was an air of expectation that Justify would likely duplicate that effort in the Preakness against a smaller field and head to Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown, just as Baffert’s four previous Kentucky Derby winners had done.

But there were two big questions Justify had to answer at Pimlico. The first was whether a heel bruise that surfaced after the Derby was indeed a non-issue, as Baffert consistently maintained, or perhaps that kind of small physical problem that gets magnified under the grueling Triple Crown schedule. The second issue was whether Justify’s form might simply regress running for the fifth time in a 91-day span, a fairly heavy workload for horses in the modern era.

Those possibilities inspired trainer Chad Brown to give Good Magic another chance after he ran a solid second in the Derby and for D. Wayne Lukas to believe Bravazo, after a troubled sixth in Louisville, could possibly serve as a spoiler in a smaller field. And, as always, the Preakness attracted some Triple Crown newcomers like Quip and Tenfold to see how they stacked up against a Derby winner.

Justify #7 ridden by jockey Mike Smith wins the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 19, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Much like the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, the Preakness was a dripping wet mess. A seemingly never-ending storm front dumped rain over the area for five straight days, which are particularly challenging conditions at a place like Pimlico, which is 143 years old and now the focus of a fight between its owners and the state of Maryland about whether the race will be moved to a more modern track just south of Baltimore or whether the local government will step up and spend hundreds of millions to rebuild Pimlico.

“We’ve got leaks everywhere, people sitting at tables and tiles falling out,” said Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer for the Stronach Group, which owns the track. “It’s a struggle like that because it’s important to us that the customer has a great experience, and it’s hard to do that in this facility.”

Still, the track said 134,487 people showed up Saturday, many of whom seemed to be enjoying the mosh pit of mud and modern music emanating from the infield without any regard for the racing conditions, which were awful.

The track was so wet, Pimlico was forced to move five of the six scheduled grass races Saturday to dirt and worked around-the-clock in the days leading up to the Preakness to drain water off the course so that it wouldn’t pool along the rail. Then, when the rain finally lifted on Saturday afternoon, it left a heavy fog in its place that made it practically impossible for fans to see the backstretch.

When the horses finally emerged into view, Justify had been through a full mile of a head-to-head duel with Good Magic, a battle that clearly tired both horses. Still, Justify had enough to win -- and now stands just 1 1/2 miles away from history.</s>BALTIMORE, Md. (CNN) — Justify, trained by Bob Baffert, won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday (May 19), capturing the second event in horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Baffert has won 14 Triple Crown races, tied for most with D. Wayne Lukas. Seven of those wins are at the Preakness.

Justify was tested by Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic for most of the race. But Justify took a short lead coming down the home stretch and held off hard-charging Bravazo, who finished second, and Tenfold, who was third.

“That was a nail-biter. … I’m so happy that we got it done,” Baffert told broadcaster NBC. “He’s just a great horse, to handle all that pressure and keep on running.”

Jockey Mike Smith, 52, became the oldest jockey to win the Preakness. He admitted his horse grew fatigued by the battle with Good Magic.

“He got a little tired. This was his hardest race that he’s had,” Smith said.

At 1 3/16 miles, the Preakness is slightly shorter than the Kentucky Derby, and Bravazo and Tenfold, both of which skipped the race two weeks ago, almost caught Justify at the end.

Heavy fog made it difficult for the TV audience and the 134,487 spectators at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore to see parts of the race.

The final leg of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes on June 9 in Elmont, New York. With a win at the Belmont, Justify would become the 13th horse to capture the Triple Crown. American Pharoah, also trained by Baffert, is the last horse to accomplish the feat, in 2015.

Justify has won all five stakes races he has run.</s>BALTIMORE — Justify emerged from the fog and sloshed his way to another victory, holding off several hard-charging challengers to win the Preakness on Saturday and keep alive the chance for trainer Bob Baffert’s second Triple Crown champion in four years.

On a sloppy track similar to the conditions in the Kentucky Derby, Justify improved to 5-0 and will go to the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 9 looking to do the same thing American Pharoah did for Baffert in 2015. Justify showed no ill effects from a bruised heel on his left hind foot that was discovered in the aftermath of the Derby, an injury Baffert insisted would not be a problem.

Justify and Good Magic went to the lead early and traded first back and forth throughout the 1-3/16-mile race. Bravazo edged long-shot Tenfold for second, and Good Magic was fourth.

“They had their own private match race,” Baffert said. “He’s just a great horse to handle all that pressure and keep on running.”

Baffert tied veteran D. Wayne Lukas’ record with his 14th victory in a Triple Crown race and matched 19th-century trainer R.W. Walden with his seventh Preakness title. Baffert also remained undefeated with Derby winners in the Preakness following Silver Charm, Real Quiet, War Emblem and American Pharoah.

Justify showed more evidence of being the same kind of super horse as American Pharoah, and Baffert has repeatedly drawn comparisons between them. Three years after American Pharoah won at Pimlico in a driving rain storm, Mike Smith rode Justify through thick fog that engulfed the racetrack.

Smith won the Preakness for just the second time in 17 tries, 25 years after his first aboard Prairie Bayou.

Justify is the 36th horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

“I’m so happy that we got it done,” Baffert said. “I’ve never had one run that fast here.”</s>BALTIMORE—The day looked much the same. There were wastebaskets catching rainwater seeping through the ceiling, cardboard and wood chips and carpets meant to soak up days of dampness at Pimlico Race Course. The track resembled peanut butter, not dirt, and the fog rolled in as if on cue, producing a thick white curtain as the horses loaded the gate, leaving the race caller to rely on television monitors, rather than what he could see with his own eyes. The fans, in rain boots and parkas, were not deterred by the dreadful conditions: They wanted to witness the second act of what they hoped would soon become horse racing lore.

This was not 2015, when the Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah went to the lead of the Preakness Stakes and stayed there, winning by seven lengths to capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown in a storybook run that culminated in his becoming the first winner in 37 years. On Saturday, it was Justify, also trained by Baffert, that went to the lead, but he was soon challenged by Good Magic, so much so that their battle resembled a match race going into the stretch. But Justify shook free, then hung on to defeat Bravazo by a half-length in the 143rd Preakness and set up a shot at the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes in New York in three weeks. “Not even the fog could stop him,” the race caller, Larry Collmus, exclaimed as Justify crossed the finish line for his fifth victory in five tries and his third on a wet track.

Tenfold finished third, while Good Magic faded to fourth. “It was like we had our own private match race and someone had to give — I’m just glad it wasn’t us,” said Baffert, who added that the exhilarating victory took more out of him than it probably did out of Justify, with Mike Smith aboard. “I’m just glad that everyone got to see a great horse race.” Afterward, Smith acknowledged that Justify, the colt with the perfect record in often imperfect conditions, was a little tired. “A good kind of tired,” he said. In five tries, Baffert has never lost the Preakness with a Derby winner. In fact, Justify’s victory tied him with R. Wyndham Walden, who won seven editions in the 1800s, including five straight, for the most Preakness wins. He also earned a record 14th victory in a Triple Crown race. A race earlier, a Baffert-trained horse ridden by Smith, Ax Man, won by 6 3/4 lengths, perhaps foretelling what was about to happen next. There was no question that Justify could handle the slop — he made it look easy amid a steady and driving rain on the first Saturday in May, when he became the first horse since 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without having competed as a 2-year-old.

And Saturday’s conditions appeared just right for a repeat performance. “We probably cleaned out, I think, the entire state in terms of rain boots and ponchos,” said Belinda Stronach, chairwoman and president of the Stronach Group, which owns Pimlico. Still, Justify was no sure thing. This is horse racing, which has a way of spoiling even the rowdiest of parties.

The morning after the Derby, Baffert brought Justify out of his barn for a victory lap, but the horse appeared agitated and unable to put much weight on his left hind leg. Baffert did not notice anything wrong at the time, but when videos of the appearance were posted on social media, speculation swirled that Justify might be lame. Baffert later said that Justify was dealing with “scratches,” a skin irritation that is common among horses that have encountered wet surfaces. But when Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians examined Justify two days later, they found no sign of a rash, instead saying he had a bruised heel. After a few more days of rest and relaxation, Justify returned to the track looking like his old self. Before he left Kentucky for Baltimore, he was re-shod and an adhesive reinforcement was placed on his left hind hoof. Baffert said he was confident that Justify was ready. Baffert made good on his promise Saturday, as Justify looked no worse for wear while fending off his competition in front of an announced crowd of 134,487, more than the 131,680 who watched American Pharoah. Justify breathes the same air as American Pharoah, Baffert boasted all week. Afterward, he felt the same. “Unbelievable,” Baffert kept repeating. On a day that began with a royal wedding, Justify sure appeared worthy of a Triple Crown coronation in three weeks’ time. All that is left is one more race and one more victory to land him among the titans of the sport of kings.</s>Justify was, by far, the best horse in the Preakness Stakes, and the famous horse and its renowned jockey did not disappoint.

Mike Smith showed his greatness, as he and Justify got out of the gate at Pimlico cleanly, and quickly got to a similar position as the one they held at the Kentucky Derby.

Justify was able to fend off Good Magic, as well as a late push from Bravazo to win. You can check out the race here.

It was close at the end, but Justify held off his opponents for the win.

Bravazo finished in second place, while Tenfold took third. Good Magic slipped to fourth. But it was all about Justify, who will compete for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes in a few weeks.</s>Justify won the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Justify, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, entered the race as a 1-5 favorite. He was followed by Good Magic (5-1), Quip (11-1) and Lone Sailor (12-1).

Justify was the sixth straight favorite to win the Kentucky Derby and broke the 136-year-old Curse of Apollo by winning the race while not racing as a two-year-old.

The winner of the Preakness Stakes takes home an estimated $1.5 million.

Next up in the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9 in Elmont, N.Y.

Bravazo finished in second place and Tenfold finished in third place.

See the list of the full results below:</s>Eight horses are set to run in the Preakness Stakes this Saturday, as Justify looks to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The race for the Triple Crown is officially on.

After a dominant performance in the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, Justify is back racing this weekend in the Preakness Stakes, looking to move one step closer to Triple Crown glory.

Facing off against him will be seven horses of strong pedigree — some raced in the Derby with Justify, others are on fresh legs, looking to offer a new challenge.

Post positions and opening lines were set on Wednesday, leaving horse-racing enthusiasts to start scanning the field for their picks to win at Pimlico.

Justify is the heavy favorite heading into the race, but Good Magic, the second-place Derby finisher, might be able to take advantage of the shorter track. Meanwhile, the fresh legs of the new contenders Quip and Diamond King could also prove decisive in the muddy conditions expected on Saturday.

Whether you're taking the favorite, at 1-2, or looking for a viable longshot to spoil Justify's Triple Crown run, there's plenty to know about each horse in the field. Below, we go post-by-post to give you the rundown on every horse racing this weekend at the Preakness Stakes.</s>Dense fog and a soggy track blurred ideal viewing conditions, but there was no mistaking Justify's run to victory in the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Entering the race with an overwhelming 5-1 odds, the undefeated favorite, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, shot out of Post 7 with a clean start as he had in Kentucky. Smith takes his second Preakness win.

While Justify's victory hardly came as a shock, don't call it an easy win. The favorite, who had been recovering from a bruised hind foot, stayed nose-to-nose with trailing challenger Good Magic for the majority of the race. But in the end, Bravazo placed second and Tenfold, a long shot, finished third.

"It was a nail-biter," Justify's trainer Bob Baffert told NBC Sports. "They put it to us. It was like they had their own private match race (but I'm) so happy we got it done. Such a great horse to handle all that pressure and get it done."

Baffert is now one race closer to taking his second Triple Crown. Baffert led American Pharoah to Triple Crown victory in 2015, ending a 37-year-drought in series champions.

Justify's next stop: the final jewel of the Triple Crown at Belmont Stakes in New York on June 9.
Justify wins the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, in 1:55.93.