Sovereignty wins Kentucky Derby at 7-1 odds as Bill Mott etches name in history
Bill Mott no longer needs an asterisk next to his Kentucky Derby victory.
The Mott-trained Sovereignty rallied down the stretch to win Saturday’s $5 million, Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs by 1 ½ lengths.
On a cool and rainy evening in front of 147,406 fans, Mott picked up his second Kentucky Derby victory. His first came in 2019, when 65-1 shot Country House was put up following the disqualification of Maximum Security.
"This is better," the 71-year-old Mott said with his customary dry delivery. “This one got here the right way. I mean, he’s done well. He's a great horse. He comes from a great organization."
Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty covered the 1 1/4 miles on a sloppy track in 2:02.31 and paid $17.96 on a $2 win wager.
“Every move I was making, that horse was just there for me every single time," said Alvarado, who got his first Kentucky Derby victory. "I made probably six to seven, eight little moves, and he was there for me each time. ...
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to find the right word to describe this feeling right now.”
Journalism finished a neck in front of Baeza for second place. Final Gambit rounded out the superfecta in fourth.
The Bob Baffert-trained Citizen Bull led a quartet of early front-runners that also included Neoequos, Owen Almighty and American Promise.
As the leaders faded, Journalism took the lead off the final turn and dueled with Sovereignty down the stretch until the latter took over.
“I could feel turning for home he was going to get there," Alvarado said. "When we hit the eighth-pole, I knew there was no horse that was going to be coming."
Sovereignty earned $3.1 million for Godolphin, giving Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum his first Kentucky Derby winner in 13 tries. It came one day after the Godolphin-owned Good Cheer won the Kentucky Oaks.
Sovereignty, a bay colt by Into Mischief, improved to 3-2-0 in six career starts and entered the Kentucky Derby off a second-place finish in the Florida Derby.
Baffert’s bid to become the winningest trainer in Kentucky Derby history was thwarted when Citizen Bull finished 15th.
"This is the first time he ran in the mud, and he didn't like it," Citizen Bull jockey Martin Garcia said. "He never felt comfortable and never fired."
Baffert remained tied with Ben Jones with six Kentucky Derby wins. It was Baffert’s first trip to the Kentucky Derby since 2021 after suspensions forced him to miss the race from 2022-24.
Journalism became the seventh straight post-time favorite to not win the Kentucky Derby. Justify (2018) was the last favorite to win the Run for the Roses and went on to capture the Triple Crown.
"On the turn for home he opened up, but I saw the blue silks (of Sovereignty) coming at us," Journalism trainer Michael McCarthy said. "I knew that was the one we were going to have to be concerned about. (Journalism) ran on the best he could, and he ran a very good race. But the winner ran a better race."
Whether Sovereignty continues on the Triple Crown road — next up is the Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore — remains to be seen.
Mott didn't get that chance in 2019, as Country House contracted a virus following his Kentucky Derby victory and never raced again.
Michael Bahanan, Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock, wasn't ready to commit Saturday night to heading to the Preakness.
“He ran really hard today," Bahanan said. "Especially when you get a closer from off the pace, they have to lay their body on the line a little bit. We’ll see how he comes out of it. If he responds well, maybe we look at that.”
Mott wasn't thinking much, either, about the Preakness on Saturday night. He recalled listening to the Kentucky Derby for the first time in 1967 on AM radio "in the front seat of a GMC pickup" as a teenager in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.
He recalled arriving as a trainer at Churchill Downs in 1980, setting up shop at the same Barn 19 where he's still stationed this day.
“Churchill has really been special for me and my growth as a trainer," Mott said. "I’ve trained for so many really good people from Kentucky that have supported me, and it carried over to today.
"This is the icing on the cake, but I still want to win more.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.