Justify crowned Horse of the Year & 3YO Champ
Justify’s historic Triple Crown and undefeated season in 2018 earned the colt both Horse of the Year and champion Male 3-year-old honors at Thursday evening’s Eclipse Awards.
Justify joins 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2001’s Point Given as Bob Baffert’s Horse of the Year champions. Both of his previous winners also earned 3-year-old awards that same year.
Justify broke all sorts of records, none more notable than the “Apollo” curse, meaning that no Kentucky Derby (G1) winner had won the Run for the Roses without starting as a 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882.
Justify made his debut on Feb. 18 with a 10-length maiden win. He followed that up with an allowance victory and an easy score in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) before his Triple Crown procession. He was unfortunately retired soon after, ending his brilliant career with six wins in as many starts while earning $3,798,000.
Owned by the partnership of China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm, Justify is starting his stallion career this year at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.