Bill Mott’s Sovereignty finished with a flourish to provide Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation with a first Kentucky Derby success at Churchill Downs.
A crowd of over 147,000 was in attendance for the 151st renewal of the ‘The Run For The Roses’, with 19 horses going to post on a sloppy track following heavy rain at the Louisville circuit.
Michael McCarthy’s Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism was a hot favourite and looked likely to oblige after making a sweeping move rounding the home turn to challenge for the lead.
However, Florida Derby runner-up Sovereignty was in his slipstream under Venezuelan rider Junior Alvarado and finished off the 10-furlong contest the stronger to claim a clear-cut victory.
Hall of Fame trainer Mott was winning North America’s most famous race for a second time, after his Country House was promoted to the No 1 spot in 2019 following the disqualification of first past the post Maximum Security.
Of his latest victor, Mott told NBC Sports: “I saw him gearing up when he left the half-mile pole – he started to pick up his momentum. I lost him a little bit, but he made up a lot of ground in a hurry.
“He’s done well, he’s a great horse and he comes from a great organisation. I can’t say enough about the horse and the organisation that started him out and did everything to make this happen.
“It’s great and it’ll take a while to sink in.”
On whether Sovereignty will now compete in the second leg of the American Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, the trainer added: “I think we’ve got to talk about it. The pressure is on now to go. Had he not won you wouldn’t feel obligated to do it, but we’ll talk with the team and I think we’ll make a joint decision and try to do the right thing.”
Sovereignty’s triumph rounded off a fantastic Saturday for Godolphin following the earlier success of Charlie Appleby’s Ruling Court in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA, said: “It’s amazing. The founder of Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed, has given all these great resources to have a wonderful stallion roster and a great broodmare band and be able to have horses here that can compete on the big stage.
“It is a race that we always wanted to try and win. Godolphin like to compete in the best races round the world, be it the Epsom Derby, the Melbourne Cup, the Dubai World Cup and eventually the Kentucky Derby.
“I’m so grateful to be up here looking at the Twin Spires from this side – it’s a great feeling.”
Alvarado added: “It means the world to me, my family is here. I thought I had a great chance and I was so confident the whole way.
Junior Alvarado celebrates winning the 151st Kentucky Derby aboard Sovereignty on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Churchill Downs. (Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Longines)
“If I had to pick someone to win the Kentucky Derby with it would be Mr Mott. We’ve been a team for a while and it’s more than a dream come true to get it done with him and the Godolphin people too, who have been very helpful throughout my career.”
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