Justify Untouchable in Kentucky Derby
Image:
Description:
Photo: Rick Samuels
Justify leads the way to victory in the Kentucky Derby
China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm's Justify in every sense earned his score in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) May 5 at Churchill Downs.
With a perfect break out of post 7, the Scat Daddy colt trained by Bob Baffert settled on the outside of early pacesetter Promises Fulfilled, pressed the frontrunner in the backstretch as blazing fractions were put up, and held off every challenger in a grind-it-out stretch run under the Twin Spires.
He finished off the mile and a quarter in 2:04.20 under jockey Mike Smith after opening fractions of :22.24 and :45.77 through a half-mile, took command in the turn as familiar rival Bolt d'Oro tried his hardest but couldn't keep up. Juvenile champion Good Magic took a crack next, but could not get within striking distance in the stretch and just edged Audible for second at the wire.