Godolphin homebred Sovereignty outdueled Journalism in a thrilling stretch duel to score by 1 ½ lengths in the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) in front of 147,406 fans at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty covered the 1 1.4 miles over a sloppy track in 2:02.31. It was the second Derby win for Mott who also won the Derby with Country House in 2019. For Godolphin, it was a sweep of the Kentucky Oaks and Derby, having won the Oaks with undefeated Good Cheer a day earlier.
After a contested early pace, Journalism made the first move at the leaders around the far turn. Sovereignty advanced right behind him. At the head of the lane Journalism roared past the tiring pacesetters with Sovereignty in close pursuit. The two matched strides for about a sixteenth of a mile before Sovereignty asserted his superiority and surged past his rival at the eighth pole.
The win was worth $3.1 million and increased Sovereignty’s bankroll to more than $3.6 million. The son of Into Mischief now owns a record of 6-3-2-0. Sovereignty is produced from the Bernardini mare Crowned.
“He broke good,” said Junior Alvarado of Sovereignty. “Probably, the third or fourth jump after the break, the horse next to me cut in front of me, so I had to check a little bit. I just hoped he didn’t lose a shoe with the way the track is. Going to the first turn, I tried to save ground. When I turned to the backside, he was traveling beautifully. When we hit the five-eighths pole, he said he was ready. I didn’t want to get too excited. When we turned for home, I got him in the clear, and he showed his stuff. I knew what he was capable of.
Mott said of the Kentucky Derby win, “I was lucky enough to do this with my family. We had quite the celebration. It’s such a good feeling. I’m so proud of the horse. I’m so proud of everyone who had anything to do with the horse to get him to this point. It takes a family and takes a community to get him ready. From the matings, to raising them as babies, to breaking them as 2-year-olds, we were so lucky to get him in the barn. It’s just a special feeling to have it happen for the team. For my regular rider Junior Alvarado, it made it so special. I’ve had quite a long relationship with the Godolphin team and the man behind the Godolphin operation Sheikh Mohammed. I’m just honored.”