The Real Kentucky Derby Action Took Place at the Alpaca Derby

The 144th annual Kentucky Derby ended when Justify ran the 1¼ mile race in just 2:04.20, crossing the finish line well ahead of the competition. Of course, anyone who watched the first annual Alpaca Derby could have predicted Justify’s run.

While Justify may have entered the record books as the first colt in 136 years to wear the roses after not racing as a 2-year-old, the real action took place a few hours earlier at a farm not too far from Churchill Downs, where the Alpaca Kentucky Derby took place.

For the race, alpacas were saddled up in racing colors and assigned the names of the thoroughbred horses on the leaderboard at the Kentucky Derby. The idea was that the alpacas would run their race and perhaps predict the winner of the Derby itself. While My Boy Jack won the Alpaca Derby, Justify was right there at the end, requiring a photo finish to determine the winner. Perhaps the odds-makers at Churchill Downs will be watching this race very closely next year.

As NBC Sports reports, Jannie Giles, the owner and trainer at Black Horse Manor in Pleasureville, Kentucky, held an all-alpaca version of the famous race to raise awareness about the animals. While the results of the race may not have been an entirely accurate predictor of the race, they were certainly far cuter than anything at the actual Kentucky Derby.