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The favorite to win the 2018 Kentucky Derby, Justify, and another horse with short odds, Magnum Moon, will both be racing under the shadow of the dreaded "Apollo Curse".
Only one horse has ever won the “Run for the Roses” without having raced as a two-year-old. In 1882, a lightly raced colt by the name of Apollo did exactly that and pulled off an upset for the ages, defeating 4-5 favorite Runnymede on a “muddy” track to win the Kentucky Derby.
“I think trends with the winners in terms of days between races and number of preps has been changing the last 10-15 years, so it’s only a matter of time before this one changes, too,” leading trainer and two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher said after the final round of Kentucky Derby prep races. “With two of the top choices this year (being unraced juveniles), we’ll certainly be testing the curse.”
“It takes a special horse to do (what Justify and Magnum Moon have accomplished) and special horses can overcome trends,” said Darren Rogers, Senior Director of Communications and Media Services at Churchill Downs.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
