Justify. There isn’t much that hasn’t been said about this Kentucky bred American Thoroughbred. This colt has already captivated the hearts of many in the racing community. The son of the late Scat Daddy has certainly proved his worth on the track. In January of 2018, he began to train with famed trainer Bob Baffert. Justify broke his maiden in February of 2018. After having a poor start and seeming to have odds stacked against him, he come out on top winning the race by 9 1/2 lengths. The chestnut colt was called “Brilliant” by his trainer and a rising star by others. Mike Smith first rode Justify in his second race in the following month, which he won by 6 1/2 lengths. Baffert turned his gaze for the young colt to the Santa Anita Derby. Justify’s main rival in this race was the up and coming Bolt d’Oro. The colt’s fought for dominance and eventually Justify pulled forward winning the race by 1 1/2 lengths. After his dominate performance he rose in the polls and became the 3-1 favorite in the field of 20 horses for the Kentucky Derby. Here he lead for the entire race and for the first time in the history of the Kentucky Derby, it rained during the race. The chestnut stunner earned his garland of roses and moved on to the Preakness in Baltimore. In Baltimore the track conditions were sloppy. Justify had never ran in the slop before and he beat them all. He was brought back to Churchill Downs to train for the weeks in between the Preakness and the Belmont. Here soon we will discover if we will be seeing our next Triple Crown winner join the ranks.
