CU Lacrosse's Wolf Getting Up-Close View Of Justify's Triple Crown Bid
May 22, 2018 | Lacrosse, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Having your first collegiate lacrosse start come in the NCAA Tournament would be a hallmark event for just about any athlete.
Colorado sophomore Elinor Wolf had such a moment this year, getting her starting debut as a Buff in CU's NCAA Sweet 16 game against Florida — an even bigger accomplishment when you consider that Wolf came to Colorado as a walk-on.
But while Wolf's first start as a Buff was no doubt a memorable moment, truth is it has to share center stage with some other rather major occasions this year.
You see, just last weekend, Wolf had the thrill of being at the finish line of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing's legendary Triple Crown.
There, she saw Justify follow his Kentucky Derby win with a Preakness victory, and her observation spot at the finish line even landed her on the back page of the New York Post in a quintessential finish line photo.
"It was amazing," Wolf said. "I was at the finish line and watched them come right out of the fog. It was crazy. You couldn't even see anything on the (television) screens. All you could hear was the announcer. It was nothing but fog and then all of a sudden, here they come out of the fog. It was nothing like you've ever seen before."
No doubt, a memory to cherish.
But that's not even the best part. That came immediately after the race, when she joined her parents, Jack and Laurie Wolf, in the winner's circle. That is a place not many ever get to experience, and one Wolf will always remember.
Jack and Laurie Wolf are the founders of Starlight Racing, a thoroughbred racing partnership. It is a partnership that has had plenty of success over the years, and just three months ago purchased a significant interest in what was then an untested and relatively unknown — but highly promising — 3-year-old trained by legendary Bob Baffert.
Now, Justify is one win away from a Triple Crown.
Rest assured, Wolf and her parents will be at the June 9 Belmont Stakes hoping to see (and make) history.
"No way could I miss it," Wolf said. "You never know if you'll get that opportunity again."
Wolf, from Louisville, Ky., grew up around the sport of horse racing. Her father worked as a professor and hedge fund manager before retiring to concentrate on racing just about the time Elinor was born, and she has been closely involved with the sport for as long as she can remember.
It's something she believes will always be part of her life.
"I guess you could say it's in my blood," Wolf said. "I love the sport, I love everything about it. It's something I definitely want to be involved with as a career."
Wolf is studying advertising at CU, something she hopes she can apply to the business side of the industry.
But while she's at Colorado, she would also like to continue her lacrosse career, something she has pursued with vigor ever since deciding to walk on as a freshman.
"I went to a really small high school, so if you were an athlete, you played every sport," Wolf said. "I ran cross country, track, played field hockey, basketball — everything. But lacrosse was so much fun I wanted to keep doing it if I had the chance. I always liked it more. It's fun and fast and aggressive."
Thus, after graduating from high school, her plan was simple: find a place she loved that had lacrosse, and see if there was a chance to walk on.
Boulder and CU fit the bill in every regard.
"My plan was to find a college or university that I absolutely loved and someplace I could try to walk-on. Then if I didn't make it, I was still going to be somewhere I loved," she said. "I drove here with my parents on the way to a lacrosse tournament in high school in Vail and when we got here, I said, 'I think I've found the spot.' We drove around, went to Pearl Street, campus, Chautauqua, and I knew this is where I wanted to be for the next four years."
Wolf met with CU coach Ann Elliott, earned a chance to walk on and appeared in one game as a freshman. This year, she played in three games before the postseason, but caught coaches' eyes on the defensive end as the Buffs headed to the the NCAAs.
After Colorado beat Jacksonville in the NCAA opener, CU coaches told her to be ready because she might see some playing time against Florida. The next day, they told her she was starting.
"It was awesome — I've never had so much fun playing a game in my life," she said. "It was a little bit of a shock at first because I really haven't played much the last two years. … But I think I did OK. I was really happy that I was able to focus and stick to the plan. It was quite an honor, to say the least."
Wolf did not get to attend this year's Kentucky Derby because the Buffs were preparing for the NCAA Tournament.
But she will be at the Belmont, hoping to see Justify make history by becoming only the second Triple Crown winner since 1978 (American Pharoah, also trained by Baffert, won in 2015).
"The thing about this horse is that he's so professional," Wolf said. "Some people might think it's weird to talk about these horses like they're human athletes, but there are some of these horses that just get the joke. They know what's going on. Ashado (another Starlight Racing standout) was like that. She knew when the finish line came. She knew when people were taking pictures of her. Justify is the same. He knows when people are taking pictures of him and making a fuss."
So far, Justify has given people plenty of reason to make that fuss. If all goes well June 9, that reason will grow exponentially in the winner's circle at the Belmont.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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