In a thrilling contest at Churchill Downs, Godolphin's homebred Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, emerged victorious in the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). The race, held on a rainy Saturday before a crowd of 147,406, saw Sovereignty outduel favored Journalism by 1½ lengths in a protracted stretch duel. Sovereignty completed the mile and a quarter in 2:02.31 over a sloppy track, marking Mott's second Kentucky Derby win, the first being with Country House in 2019. This victory also completed a weekend sweep for Godolphin, who had won the Longines Kentucky Oaks the previous day with the undefeated Good Cheer.

The early pace was set by Citizen Bull, followed closely by Neoequous, American Promise, and Owen Almighty. These four maintained their positions through fractions of :22.81, :46.23, and 1:10.78. Journalism and Sovereignty raced in midpack. As they approached the far turn, Journalism, under Umberto Rispoli, initiated a move, with Sovereignty shadowing him closely. At the head of the stretch, Owen Almighty briefly took the lead before Journalism surged forward, challenged by Sovereignty on the outside.

The two horses battled stride for stride for a sixteenth of a mile until Sovereignty pulled ahead inside the eighth pole, securing the victory. The win was worth $3.1 million, boosting Sovereignty’s earnings to $3,672,800 with a record of 6-3-2-0. Sovereignty, a Kentucky-bred son of Into Mischief out of the Bernardini mare Crowned, had previously won the Street Sense (GIII) at Churchill Downs last fall over a sloppy track.

Sovereignty returned $17.96, $7.50, and $5.58. Journalism paid $4.94 and $3.70, finishing a neck ahead of Baeza, who paid $8.38 to show under Flavien Prat. Final Gambit finished fourth, followed by Owen Almighty, Burnham Square, Sandman, East Avenue, Chunk of Gold, Tiztastic, Coal Battle, Luxor Café, Neoeqous, Publisher, Citizen Bull, American Promise, Render Judgment, Flying Mohawk, and Admire Daytona (JPN).

Quotes from key participants:

Junior Alvarado (Jockey, Sovereignty): Emphasized the importance of saving ground early in the race and praised Sovereignty's readiness and performance in the final stretch. He noted that the horse responded strongly when given clear running room.

Bill Mott (Trainer, Sovereignty): Expressed pride in the horse and the team behind him, highlighting the collaborative effort involved in preparing Sovereignty for the race. He also acknowledged the significance of the victory for his relationship with the Godolphin team and Sheikh Mohammed.

Umberto Rispoli (Jockey, Journalism): Described a smooth trip, waiting for the right moment to unleash his horse. He conceded that Sovereignty was the superior horse on the day.

Michael McCarthy (Trainer, Journalism): Noted a minor setback early in the race but commended Rispoli for recovering and placing the horse in a good position. He acknowledged Sovereignty's strong finish.

Flavien Prat (Jockey, Baeza): Mentioned the unexpected lack of pace and his efforts to secure a better position down the backside. He felt Baeza made a commendable run despite the circumstances.

John Shirreffs (Trainer, Baeza): Commented on the challenges of watching the race on television and praised Baeza's performance, considering the shipping and wet track conditions.