Justify wins Kentucky Derby 2018, topples Apollo Curse
Apollo, meet Justify.
Un-raced at age 2, the Bob Baffert-trained colt is still unbeaten at 3 and looking like a Triple Crown threat after Saturday's 2018 Kentucky Derby.
Good Magic chased for second in the stretch. Justify had only a ghost to catch.
The son of late sire Scat Daddy became the first Kentucky Derby winner since 1882 and second overall to have not competed as a juvenile.
“It’ll take a horse like him to break that curse and wow, he’s just something else," said jockey Mike Smith. "I can’t describe how special this horse is. My vocabulary doesn’t have the words for it.”
His final time was 2:04.20, achieved after running alongside Promises Fulfilled through blazing opening fractions of a quarter mile in 22.24 seconds and a half mile in 45.77.
“When he got away clean, then I thought we had a chance," Baffert said, his favorite breaking from the No. 7 hole.
Behind Good Magic were Florida Derby winner Audible and longshot Instilled Regard. My Boy Jack ran on for fifth on what went down as the wettest Kentucky Derby Day on record. Still, 157,813 were on hand at Churchill Downs to witness some greatness.
“I saw that 22 and change and I thought, ‘Wow, man, that’s really fast,'" Baffert said. "Then I saw 45. But he was doing it easy. Him, American Pharoah and Arrogate — these horses are cut from a different — they’re just so great. And it took a great horse to do what he did today.”
Baffert added: “I rank him up there with my top ones.”
Justify is the Hall of Famer's fifth Derby winner, making him second only to Ben Jones on the all-time Derby list. Smith -- nicknamed "Big Money Mike" -- made it a second Derby having also guided Giacomo to the winner's circle in 2005. A partnership of WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, SF Racing and others campaign Justify, who sold for $500,000 as a yearling.
“He’s got that ‘it’ factor," Smith said. "He’s just so above average. He’s got unbelievable talent, and a mind to go with it.”