Record rainfall created sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs, but Justify overcame the competition to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Justify won a rain-laden Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
The horses and jockeys were forced to navigate sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs in the first leg of the Triple Crown. More than 2 1/2 inches of rain had fallen in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, according to local meteorologists, making it the wettest Derby day ever.
The previous mark had been 2.31 inches, set on May 11,1918.
Justify is the sixth consecutive favorite to win the Derby, extending the longest streak of favorites winning in race history.
Justify is the ninth undefeated Kentucky Derby winner, and is undefeated in four career starts.
The horse ended the so-called Curse of Apollo, becoming the first horse since 1882 to win the Derby without racing as a 2-year-old.
