Mike Smith rides Justify to victory during the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on Saturday in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
Justify won the annual Kentucky Derby on Saturday, beating out a swath of other contenders.
The race horse defeated the odds with the win at Churchill Downs, breaking a 136-year-old record by winning the competition without racing as a 2-year-old first. No horse since Apollo in 1882 had won the Derby without racing as a juvenile.
Justify, a favorite out of 20 horses to win the 144th Run for the Roses, had previously run only three races in his life.
The Derby win was the fifth for trainer Bob Baffert and the second for jockey Mike Smith. The race was won by two and a half lengths, with Justify covering one and a quarter miles in 2:04:20.
Mike Smith celebrates after riding Justify to victory. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Horses Good Magic came in second place, while Audible finished in third.
Prior to the race, Baffert showed some faith in his colt.
"We have a good enough horse that can win it, but it's a very competitive race," he said. "You're going to have to have some luck."
Justify defeated 19 other horses in the Kentucky Derby. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Justify scored his spot at the gate with his three-length victory over Bolt d'Oro in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7.
Another record was also broken on Saturday, as the National Weather Service said it was the wettest Derby ever. Prior to the race, the agency tweeted that rainfall totals in Louisville stood at 2.83 inches.
Fox News' Jennifer Earl and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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