Bill Mott, who previously won the Kentucky Derby in 2019 by disqualification, has achieved a remarkable victory with Sovereignty, winning the 151st Derby by 1.5 lengths. The horse, guided by jockey Junior Alvarado, navigated a challenging 19-horse field on a cold day at Churchill Downs, showcasing a strong performance after previously finishing second in the Florida Derby. The intense race saw Sovereignty and Journalism battling closely, ultimately leading to a pivotal win. Mott praised not only Sovereignty's abilities but also the efforts of the Godolphin organization that developed the horse.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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