Kentucky Derby 2018: Results, Winner, Payouts and Comments After 144th Race

Strong contenders for the Kentucky Derby were plentiful as race day approached.

Mendelssohn was a formidable runner who had won the UAE Derby by 18-and-a-half lengths in late March. Good Magic was trained by Chad Brown and had won the Breeders Cup juvenile and shown the kind of speed that looked to make him a true contender.

Magnum Moon had won the Arkansas Derby, Audible the Florida Derby and Vino Rosso had been victorious in the Wood Memorial. Bolt d'Oro, named for Olympic spring legend Usain Bolt, had done well as a two-year-old and was looking to rebound here.

But no matter what horse was given consideration, there was one colt that stood above them all. Justify, who had won all three of his races coming into the Derby, and had looked dominant in the process.

Justify was a 3-1 morning-line favorite, per OddsShark, and by the time the horses reached the starting gate Saturday evening, he remained the favorite at odds of 5-2.

Kentucky Derby Payout (Based on $2 Bet)

1st: Justify (Win: $7.80; Place: $6.00; Show: $4.40)

2nd: Good Magic (Place: $9.20; Show: $6.60)

3rd: Audible (Show: $5.80)

Kentucky Derby Results List

Win ($1.24 million): Justify; Jockey: Mike Smith; Trainer: Bob Baffert

Place ($400,000): Good Magic (-2½ lengths); Jockey: Jose Ortiz; Trainer: Chad Brown

Show ($200,000): Audible (-2½ lengths); Jockey: Javier Castellano; Trainer: Todd Pletcher

4th ($100,000): Instilled Regard (-4¼ lengths); Jockey: Drayden Van Dyke; Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer

5th ($60,000): My Boy Jack (-7 lengths); Jockey: Kent Desormeaux; Trainer: J. Keith Desormeaux

6th: Bravazo (-8 lengths); Jockey: Luis Contreras; Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas

7th: Hofburg (-8¾ lengths); Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.; Trainer: William Mott

8th: Lone Sailor (-9¼ lengths); Jockey: James Graham; Trainer: Thomas Amoss

9th: Vino Rosso (-10½ lengths); Jockey: John Velazquez; Trainer: Todd Pletcher

10th: Solomini (-11 lengths); Jockey: Flavien Prat; Trainer: Bob Baffert

11th: Firenze Fire (-23½ lengths); Jockey: Paco Lopez; Trainer: Jason Servis

12th: Bolt d'Oro (-24¼ lengths); Jockey: Victor Espinoza; Trainer: Mick Ruis

13th: Flameaway (-30½ lengths); Jockey: Jose Lezcano; Trainer: Mark Casse

14th: Enticed (-34¾ lengths); Jockey: Junior Alvarado; Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin

15th: Promises Fulfilled (-39¾ lengths); Jockey: Corey Lanerie; Trainer: Dale Romans

16th: Free Drop Billy (-41 lengths); Jockey: Robby Albarado; Trainer: Dale Romans

17th: Noble Indy (-42¼ lengths); Jockey: Florent Geroux; Trainer: Todd Pletcher

18th: Combatant (-42¾ lengths); Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.; Trainer: Steven Asmussen

19th: Magnum Moon (-49½ lengths); Jockey: Luis Saez; Trainer: Todd Pletcher

20th: Mendelssohn (-73¼ lengths); Jockey: Ryan Moore; Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Trainer Bob Baffert had prepared the horse brilliantly, and he had one of the best jockeys in the world in Mike Smith. Baffert knew that the 52-year-old Smith was familiar with every inch of the Churchill Downs race track.

Still, he had one specific instruction for his jockey. He wanted Justify to get off to a fast start so he could avoid the traffic that could damage any horse's chance to win the Run for the Roses.

Smith got his horse off to that sharp start, and he quickly settled into second place behind Promises Fulfilled. This allowed Justify to avoid traffic in the rain. Justify ran slightly to the outside of Promises Fulfilled, and he quickly found his stride.

The two horses blazed away, and the half-mile time of 45.77 was concerning to Baffert and Justify's backers. It could have worn down the horse and taken away his stretch-running ability, but those fears were for nought.

Justify took the lead with about three-eighths of a mile to run, and he withstood a brief challenge from Bolt d'Oro. That's when Smith eased off Justify just a bit, allowing him to gather himself prior to the next challenge.

That came from Good Magic, and when the two horses hit the home stretch, it looked like the challenger was starting to eat into Jusitfy's lead.

That's when Smith asked Justify for a little bit more speed and he was able to put Good Magic away. Justify won the event by two-and-one-half lengths, and he finished the race in 2:04.20.

It was a sensational showing by Justify, and both Baffert and Smith were overjoyed with their horse's performance.

"I was just in awe of the performance," Baffert said, per Beth Harris of the Associated Press (h/t Chicago Tribune). "He just put himself up there with the greats."

"I hit the front at the three-eighths pole, I let him take a little bit of a breather, kind of let him gather himself up because he responds to you very well," Smith said, per David Grening of the Daily Racing Form. "When I sat him down and just gave him that [crack of the whip] he jumped into it again and good thing, because Good Magic was coming and he held him at bay. He wasn't going to let him by him."

Brown had no excuses after Good Magic was beaten. He was also impressed with Justify's overall talent.

"Justify looked like a big monster," Brown said. "We thought he was the horse to beat and it was true."

Justify left his barn briefly on Sunday, and appeared to have a skin condition on his hind leg. Baffert said it was scratches, and it was "very minor." Baffert said it could be caused by wet weather.

As long as the condition is not a serious one, the horse racing world will focus on the Preakness Stakes May 19 to see if Justify can earn the second jewel of the Triple Crown.