Sovereignty gives Sheikh Mohammed historic first Kentucky Derby victory

Sovereignty powered through the final turn and out-duelled favourite Journalism in the final straight to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, giving the Godolphin stable a first victory in the US racing classic at Churchill Downs.

Untroubled by the sloppy track after a rainy day in Louisville, Sovereignty gained control in the final furlong to give Venezuelan jockey Junior Alvarado a first Kentucky Derby win.

“It means the world to me,” a mud-splattered Alvarado told broadcaster NBC as he made his way aboard Sovereignty toward the winner’s circle.

“I thought I had a great chance,” he said, adding thanks to Mott for putting him back on Sovereignty after he recovered from a broken shoulder suffered in a spill in March.

Journalism, the heavy favourite as he arrived on a four-race winning streak, finished second and Baeza, who got into the field on Friday after two horses were scratched, was a fast-finishing third.

For trainer Bill Mott, it was officially a second Kentucky Derby victory, but it was the first time he got to see his horse hit the wire first.

He trained Country House, who was declared the winner in 2019 after Maximum Security was disqualified.

“This one got there the right way,” Mott said. “It’ll take a while to sink in.”

It was a first Kentucky Derby victory for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Godolphin in their 13th attempt in the 1 1/4-mile Run for the Roses.

And it capped an impressive global week for Godolphin. Their Good Cheer won the Kentucky Oaks for fillies at Churchill Downs on Friday and they won the English 2000 Guineas with Ruling Court on Saturday.

“It’s a race that we always wanted to try and win,” Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA’s director of bloodstock, said as he accepted the trophy and admired the view of Churchill Downs’ twin spires from the winner’s circle for the first time. “It’s a great feeling.”

Trainer Bob Baffert, who shares the record with six Kentucky Derby winners, was in the spotlight as he returned to the race after a three-year ban after his Medina Spirit was stripped of the win in 2021 after failing a post-race drug test.

Baffert’s Citizen Bull broke from the first post and quickly came off the rail as he powered to the early lead.

Sovereignty, sent off at 7-1 in the $5 million race, was well back at the half-mile mark but moving up as they turned for home.

As Citizen Bull faded, jockey Umberto Rispoli brought Journalism to the front on the inside.

Alvarado had to work his way past Chunk of Gold and then had Sovereignty in his sights. They were neck-and-neck in the straight before Sovereignty’s final surge carried him to a 1 1/2-length win.

“It was a wonderful horse race,” Banahan said. “You’ve got the two best horses, one from the East Coast, one from the West Coast, locking down there, not one of them giving an inch and right down to the wire before we got the better of Journalism.

“So it’s a fantastic race.”

Now Sovereignty’s connections will decide if the colt will be pointed at the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in US flat racing’s Triple crown on May 17.

The treble concludes with the Belmont Stakes on June 7. That race will be held not at Belmont Park, which is undergoing renovations, but at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.

“We’ll see how he comes out of the race,” Banahan said. “We’ll see what the Hall of Fame trainer wants to do with him, but if he’s good coming out it would be the logical place to go.

“We’d love to try and go back and win the Preakness.”