Justify, the odds-on favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, cruised to a two-and-a-half-length victory over an extremely muddy track at Louisville's Churchill Downs on Saturday, besting 3-year-old rivals Good Magic and Audible in a driving rain. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith, the undefeated Justify became the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Derby without having raced as a 2-year-old. (As The Daily Racing Form put it, Justify lifted the "curse of Apollo.") Justify will next race on May 19 in Baltimore's Preakness Stakes, where he'll undoubtedly be favored to continue his march toward horse racing's first Triple Crown since American Pharoah--also trained by Baffert--broke a 37-year drought in 2015.
Justify Wins Kentucky Derby, Conquering Rain, Mud and a 136-Year Curse - The New York Times