Morry Gash / AP
Mike Smith rides Justify to victory during the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Ky.
Friday, May 25, 2018 | 8:53 a.m.
Bob Baffert has a good feeling about Justify's chances of winning the final leg of the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes.
The famed horse trainer appeared on the "PodcastOne Sports Now" show to talk to co-hosts Jim Litke and Tim Dahlberg about the June 9 race and Justify's shot at history.
Baffert said the way Justify won the Preakness showed another side of a horse who has won all five times he has raced in his brief career.
"He showed the way he won the other day he's courageous in his winning efforts," Baffert said. "(Still) we need racing luck, we need everything to go well."
Baffert, who won the Triple Crown with American Pharoah in 2015, said another Triple Crown win would be good for horse racing and help attract a new audience to the sport. He said people who love to watch history and great athletes should tune in to the Belmont even if they haven't been watching the Triple Crown series so far.
Also on the podcast, Indianapolis 500 pole setter Ed Carpenter talks with AP Racing Writer Jenna Fryer about being the fastest in qualifying and trying to win the big race in his home town. Fryer breaks down the race and discusses whether Danica Patrick can contend in what will be her final Indy 500 race.
The hosts also talk to AP Basketball Writer Tom Withers about LeBron James and whether he can carry Cleveland to the NBA Finals. They discuss the Vegas Golden Knights with the AP's Larry Lage, and how the most improbable sports story of the year unfolded in Sin City.
As usual, there is some food talk, with the discovery of a hot dog bar at the Golden Knights game.
