Sovereignty charges late to win 151st Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bill Mott is in the Hall of Fame. He won the Kentucky Derby in 2019, but it was by disqualification. The trainer never got to see his horse cross the finish line first. Until now.

In an exciting stretch run Sovereignty and Journalism battled until the final strides when Sovereignty pulled ahead to win the 151st Kentucky Derby by 1½ lengths Saturday.

Sovereignty came to this spot by finishing second in the Florida Derby. But this time he had to navigate the 19-horse field to win on a cold and drizzly day before 147,406 at Churchill Downs.

Journalism, the 7-2 favorite, got crowded and shuffled back at the start of the race but going around the far turn, jockey Umberto Rispoli got him to start picking off horses. Sovereignty was following right behind him. When the horses hit the top of the stretch, it was clear it was down to the two horses.

The start of the race was very crowded on the inside. Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old Eclipse champion, went into the lead and moved toward the center of the track. The first half mile of the 11/4-mile race was run in a fast but not brutal 46.23 seconds. By the end, all that was left were the closers as most of the early speed faded out.

Baeza, who entered the race on Thursday after Rodriguez scratched out, finished a strong third. The rest of the field, in order was Final Gambit, Owen Almighty, Burnham Square, Sandman, East Avenue, Chunk of Gold, Tiztastic, Coal Battle, Luxor Café, Neoequos, Publisher, Citizen Bull, American Promise, Render Judgment, Flying Mohawk and Admire Daytona.

Sovereignty paid $17.96 to win.

“He made up a lot of ground in a hurry,” Mott said. “This one got here the right way. I mean, he’s done well, he’s a great horse. He comes to us from a great organization (Godolphin) and I can’t say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and did everything to make this happen.”

The winning rider was Junior Alvarado. It was his first Kentucky Derby win.

This marked the return of Bob Baffert to Churchill Downs after the track banned him from racing for three years. The move was made after Medina Spirit tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day. It led to a series of court fights in which Churchill Downs prevailed.

Baffert brought two horses to run in the Derby, Citizen Bull and Rodriguez. However, Rodriguez was scratched Thursday when he had sensitivity in one of his hooves. The injury was not considered serious and he is now pointed to run in the Preakness Stakes in two weeks.

Rodriguez won the Wood Memorial a month ago at Aqueduct. Second in that race was Grande, who scratched Friday morning. The horse had been battling a slightly cracked heel but the X-rays were clean. It prompted an angry response from owner Mike Repole.

“With all the diagnostics we have taken, the great vets we use, and the experience of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we are baffled and confused by what criteria vets are using to determine who scratches, who doesn’t and when … especially when every diagnostic tells us the horse is safe and sound,” Repole posted on X.

Through the years, Repole has had three horses scratch from the Derby.

The scratch of Rodriguez allowed Baeza, second in the Santa Anita Derby to Journalism, in the field. The horse came to Churchill Downs without a guaranteed spot in the race. Because the scratch came after the draw, Baeza had to start in the farthest outside post.

This year’s Derby did not have the buzz of last year’s, the 150th running of the race. And the wet weather also dampened the enthusiasm of some fans, many of whom moved to covered areas. Plastic ponchos were the favored attire on the day.