Justify
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Justify is an exceptional American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who made history in 2018. Foaled in 2015, he was bred by John D. Gunther and owned by China Horse Club, WinStar Farm, Starlight Racing, and Head of Plains Partners.
Justify’s career, though brief, was nothing short of remarkable. He became the 13th horse to win the American Triple Crown, capturing the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in 2018. What made his achievement particularly impressive was that Justify did not race as a two-year-old, making him the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without having raced at age two – a feat that broke the so-called “Curse of Apollo.” Justify’s Triple Crown victory was part of an undefeated career in which he won all six of his starts. He began his racing career in February 2018 and concluded it with his Belmont Stakes win in June of the same year, becoming the first undefeated Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. Despite his short career, Justify was named the 2018 American Horse of the Year. His retirement due to injury shortly after the Belmont Stakes meant that racing fans saw relatively little of him, but his impact on the sport was significant. Justify’s accomplishments demonstrated the potential for a horse to achieve greatness in a compressed timeframe, challenging traditional notions about the development and campaigning of top-level racehorses.
“It would entail a lengthy search to find a better representative of the Thoroughbred breed… Justify exudes power… In action, he brings the entire package: speed, stride, and stamina.” – The Blood-Horse
