Elmont

The news conference was over.

The cheers that bounced off the rafters at Belmont Park just before dark hit were gone, too.

Justify, the 13th Triple Crown winner in the history of horse racing, was tucked away back at Barn 1 on the Belmont backstretch.

And, already, people wanted to know what was next for the new king of horse racing. I wanted to know.

And of course, I knew darn well there was going to be no decision coming as to what the next race for Justify — if indeed there is one — would be.

Had to ask. Is Saratoga Race Course, the summer playground for the ponies, in the mix for Justify?

Triple Crown trainer Bob Baffert, who now has won two of them, stuck around after the presser, even though he admitted he was starving and wanted to make a trip over to King Umberto's for a pizza.

Baffert said Justify is headed only for a long, long rest. He hasn't had a break since starting his career on Feb. 18. What followed was six races, all of them wins, and now a spot in the racing history books.

"He is not gonna be running in a couple weeks," Baffert said, a little testy when the question came about the future. "We'll get him back and see how he is."

Elliott Walden, the President and CEO of WinStar Farm, the majority owner of Justify, did hint that Justify would indeed run again, but said the decision will be up to Baffert.

Walden has always been a guy that summers in Saratoga. He'll have a say in what direction Justify goes.

"It's possible," Walden said about the Spa appearance for Justify. "Saratoga will definitely get strong consideration. We love to run there."

Those with good memories will remember the summer of 2015 when Baffert brought his first Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, to the Spa. The day before Pharoah lost the Travers to Keen Ice, he had a public gallop and 20,000 people showed up at 8:30 in the morning to see it.

If Justify were to show up, would it be the same? I can't answer that.

When American Pharoah came north, he was the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. People wanted to see that history-making horse. And the back story, of how kind and people-friendly Pharoah was (and still is) made it even more fuzzy and feel good.

Justify's Triple Crown coming so close might dilute the achievement a little bit, even though it should not.

Justify beat a better crop of 3-year-olds than Pharoah did. And he is a big, good-looking chestnut with a white blaze down his face. Don't fault him because he won the Triple Crown just three short years after Pharoah did.

He can run.

If he comes to Saratoga, the place should jump. Of course, it's all on Baffert.

He has another talented 3-year-old in his barn named McKinzie. Before the Triple Crown started, he was supposed to be Baffert's first-stringer, but he was ruled out of the Classic races with a leg injury. The plan has been for McKinzie to run in the big race on the Jersey Shore, the Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 29. If Baffert stays with that plan, he'll have to figure out what to do with that horse if McKinzie runs big at Monmouth.

Does he send him to the Travers and maybe give Justify some more rest until say, maybe the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in September?

Maybe. Or maybe they decide to retire Justify and send him to the breeding shed. Walden would not get into the breeding rights for Justify, but suffice it to say they are sizeable.

Just think about it for awhile. Perhaps we will see Justify at Saratoga. Or maybe we won't. Of course, I hope he shows. We'll see.

twilkin@timesunion.com • 518-454-5415 • @tjwilkin