Sovereignty wins the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby

Sovereignty bested a field of 18 challengers to win the 151st Kentucky Derby Saturday evening at Churchill Downs amid soggy conditions.

Sovereignty entered the race with 5-1 odds. The heavy favorite coming into Saturday, Journalism, finished in second place. 

Sovereignty’s team — including the owner Godolphin, jockey Junior Alvarado and trainer William Mott — will share winnings of $3.1 million, according to CBS Sports. The total purse is about $5 million to be split among the top five finishers. 

Journalism found trouble in the first turn and jockey Umberto Rispoli moved him to the outside. He and Sovereignty hooked up at the eighth pole before Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado pulled away.

The winner covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.31.

Baeza was third, Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth.

Citizen Bull, the lone entry for six-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, set the pace. Baffert was back for the first time after serving a three-year suspension by Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first in 2021 and failed a postrace drug test.  

Sovereignty came in as a strong contender after finishing in second place in March’s Florida Derby, and winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes earlier in the month, as well as the Street Sense Stakes in October. 

Mott won his first Derby in 2019, also run on a sloppy track, when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and was disqualified after a 22-minute delay.    

This time, Mott had no doubt his 3-year-old colt earned the garland of roses.

“This one got there the right way,” Mott said. “I mean, he’s done well, he’s a great horse, he comes from a great organization and I can’t say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and made this happen.”

Godolphin is the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.  

It was quite a weekend for the sheikh. His filly, Good Cheer, won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and earlier Saturday, Ruling Court – a son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify – won the 2,000 Guineas in Britain.

Rain fell on and off throughout the day and the 60-degree temperature made it feel cool for the horses and humans. That didn’t stop fans from betting, drinking, eating, smoking and shopping for souvenirs.