LOUISVILLE – Maybe the newest Kentucky Derby winner is more predestined than a colt seeking to justify hype.

A late career start, the sloppiest conditions in the race’s history and a curse stretching 136 years never fazed Justify.

It turned out to be “the best Kentucky Derby winning performance” trainer Bob Baffert has ever produced.

The now five-time Derby-winning trainer would know. He’s just three years removed from a Triple Crown win with American Pharoah.

“He just put himself up there with the greats,” Baffert said. “It takes a horse like American Pharoah and we know what he was capable of.”

Justify ran out front in sloppy conditions and pulled away down the stretch to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby by 2½ lengths Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The 5-2 favorite won the race in 2:04.20, clocking fractions Baffert was hesitant to believe in what was dubbed the sloppiest Derby ever with nearly three inches of rainfall.

“To come here and do it on a day with this weather, I wasn’t feeling great about it,” Baffert said. “I was preparing my wife for a loss. When I saw 22-and-change (after a quarter-mile), I thought, ‘Wow, that is fast.’ … Then I said at the half he slowed it down to 46-and-change and she said, ‘No, that’s 45-and-change.’

“This is the toughest bunch I’ve ever been involved with. There’s some really good horses there.”

The Santa Anita Derby winner who began his career in February jumped out fast at the gate from the No. 7 spot and clocked a quarter-mile in 22.24, a half-mile in 45.77, while side by side with 49-1 long shot Promises Fulfilled.

Holding the rail on the far turn, Justify kept charging and became the first colt since 1882 to win the Derby after not racing as a 2-year-old.

“He’s just way above average and just a special, special horse,” jockey Mike Smith said. “He does things that are very easy that comes very comfortable to him. I was slowing him down when we went 45 – I was leaning back on him probably more than I normally would.

“It takes a lot to keep up with him and then you’ve got to try and run him down after that. You’ve got to let a fast horse be fast sometimes.”

Justify’s victory in the 20-horse field sets the table for another potential Triple Crown run just three years after the Baffert-trained American Pharoah won it to end a 37-year drought. His 4-0 record since February gives him wins combining for 20½ lengths.

“We saw something really great,” Baffert said. “That’s greatness right there. When he won the second race we were in (American) Pharoah territory.”

Sloppy conditions helped eliminate any morning line favorite contenders expected on a fast surface. Promises Fulfilled led the pack with Justify for the first half-mile before fading to 15th. Mendelssohn, who went to post at 6-1 odds, finished last.

Bravazo finished sixth and left the gate with a line at 69-1. Bravazo, trained by hall of famer D. Wayne Lukas, is under the ownership of Calumet Farms and Franklin native Brad Kelley.

“He ran really well,” Lukas said. “I’m very pleased. He was in contention at the eighth pole. His odds were 69-1 and he ran way better than that.”{&end}