Junior Alvarado and Sovereignty make their move for the lead in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs it was Junior Alvarado aboard Sovereignty who emerged victorious READ: Sovereignty Outlasts Journalism to Win Kentucky Derby Alvarado lost track of how many times he had used the crop to encourage Sovereignty forward going over the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's six-hit limit HISA's rule states that riders can use the crop on the horse's hindquarters "no more than six times and in increments of no more than two strikes before allowing horse to respond for at least two strides." The final use came when Sovereignty had grabbed a half-length lead at the sixteenth pole before hand-riding to the wire Sign up for BloodHorse Daily Alvarado said he did not realize he had gone over the limit until watching the race replay during the postrace press conference "I couldn't keep track of that," Alvarado said there's so much that you've got on your mind." Photo: Skip DicksteinJunior Alvarado kisses the Kentucky Derby trophy On his mind was the duel with Journalism and jockey Umberto Rispoli "I wasn't galloping by 10 (lengths) I was right next to the favorite and I needed to do what I needed to do at the time," Alvarado said but I had no time to think about that (in the moment) I just wanted to win the biggest race in America." Rispoli appeared to have used the crop on Journalism six times—HISA's limit—with the final coming during the same moment at the sixteenth pole when he'd fallen a half-length behind going 1-3 strikes over the limit results in a $250 fine or 10% of the jockey's portion of the purse The $5 million Kentucky Derby awards the winner $3.1 million with the jockey usually receiving around 10%: $310,000 the jockey receives a suspension of at least one day and three points on their license If determined to have gone 4-9 strikes over the limit the fine would be $500 or 20% of the jockey's portion of the purse The horse would also be disqualified from purse earnings and the jockey given a suspension of at least three days and five points on their license "I'm gonna have to take the penalty that I am probably going to be handed," Alvarado said "There's nothing I can do." Hildebrandt's Ice Cream in Williston Park sponsor of Kentucky Derby winning jockey Junior Alvarado offered free ice cream to fans of the famous horse race on Sunday The thick mud at Churchill Downs doused the jockeys and horses by the end of Saturday’s 151st Kentucky Derby a 38-year-old Venezuelan who lives in Garden City emerged victorious atop 7-1 underdog Sovereignty three words could clearly be read on his left leg – even with his white pants dirtied – and his sweater: Hildebrandt’s Ice Cream they made a worthwhile trip to Hildebrandt's in Williston Park Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates after riding Sovereignty to victory in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday and we're all originally from Kentucky so we were super excited celebrating our friend's birthday,” said Priddy we noticed that there was a brand on his collar and one of our friends is really into horse racing Her dad grew up as a trainer with a jockey This is such an interesting name.’ And we Googled it and we were at a [beach] house in Long Island this place is 50 minutes from us,’" Priddy said ‘We heard you're sponsoring the jockey who won the Derby.’ And they're like we're giving free ice cream if you come in and get a meal photos and videos about your favorite New York teams in your inbox every morning By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy sponsored Sovereignty jockey Alvarado and was offering free ice cream all weekend to anyone who came in to talk about the horses The victory has only elevated exposure for the restaurant who grew up in Great Neck and lives in Mineola It's not really just thinking about the financial aspect of blowing something up like this You just want everybody to let it all sink in and enjoy it.” He said he has never seen a scene like this weekend at the restaurant first going to the track when he was 10 years old He bought his first horse when he was 18 and owned horses from 1988 to 2004 Sarf and his family got back into it three years ago Sarf and Alvarado have been longtime Instagram friends but their relationship took off last September Alvarado was riding a horse named War Like Goddess and lost by a hair to one of Sarf’s horses another one of Sarf’s horses beat War Like Goddess including Alvarado coming to Hildebrandt’s and appearing on Sarf’s podcast “The Horse Whisperer Podcast.” Sarf learned that Alvarado did not have a sponsor for the Derby and he came up with a marketing plan and an “offer he couldn’t refuse.” I can sponsor every jockey with the ice cream the same way Nike sponsored people,” said Sarf who alluded to the 2023 movie “Air” that highlighted Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan “The ice cream doesn't taste the same without the jockey eating it No different than how the shoe was with Nike.” Sarf plans to develop an ice cream with a flavor of Alvarado’s choice Sarf will attend both the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on May 17 and the Belmont Stakes in Saratoga on June 7 as Alvarado chases the Triple Crown “If I could have a ticker-tape parade down Hillside Avenue or Hempstead Turnpike “It's a really feel-good story for Long Island The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months PHILADELPHIA − For Phillies closer Jose Alvarado it was one of his most harrowing escape jams There he was in a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the top of the eighth inning on April 29 against the Washington Nationals the Phillies clinging to a 3-2 lead at the time Alvarado reached back and proceeded to strike out Josh Bell Dylan Crews and Alex Call to get out of the inning without allowing a run in a game the Phillies would come back to win 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth The crowd went crazy as Alvarado escaped the jam It was the first time a Phillies pitcher had struck out three consecutive batters with the bases loaded in the eighth inning or later since 1968 Little did Alvarado know that he had help in the stands from Princeton Bailey Princeton was caught on camera by the NBC Sports Philly broadcast standing on every pitch imitating Alvarado's motion as Alvarado prepared for each pitch Princeton made the bow-and-arrow stance as Alvarado pumped his fists and celebrated on his way to the dugout Alvarado found out about the video afterward and said he wanted to meet Princeton That happened on May 2 before the Phillies opened a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks 46 jersey and beads representing Alvarado's home country Alvarado wrote a long message to Princeton "It was something really special," Alvarado said through a Phillies team interpreter "Looking back at the moment and seeing him doing like I was doing during the game It was something fun and encouraging message for him and sharing some thoughts like that – never give up and follow his dreams." “He just loves baseball," Troy Bailey said I think he’s seen the Super Bowl like 50 times "All he does is mimic the players that he sees so that he can go out there and make an impact." Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book That's why the moment was just as fulfilling for Princeton as it was for Alvarado himself "It’s an amazing feeling," Alvarado said about escaping the jam "My mindset is always to go out there and get those three outs But he made it really special after getting those first two outs "And getting the hitter in the 2-and-2 count Princeton had become a social media star as the video quickly went viral It has brought much joy to Princeton and his family That was something Troy Bailey wanted Princeton to take away from meeting Alvarado WHITE HOUSE MESSAGES: Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley send messages on Eagles' White House visit. Then Trump sent his "It's the joy that he can bring to people," Troy Bailey said "We have a lot of stuff going on in our culture and our society today All the comments we had seen online − it just brought tears to our eyes because he’s a shy guy And I think this is a perfect opportunity to do that." It was just as nice for Princeton to meet Alvarado and thanked me for my support," Princeton said Then he recounted how what Alvarado told him mirrored what he learns during his karate lessons: "Never give up," Princeton said Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com But I stumbled upon the note while making a grocery list reminding myself to stock up on canned tuna headed to Baseball Savant to see how Alvarado’s new pitch mix was working out Given that he’s looked like a new pitcher to start this young campaign I figured that his new pitches were contributing a fair amount to his rejuvenation The curveball (though it moves strangely enough that it might merit a different name) has been sprinkled sparsely among his offerings The four seamer is so rare that there are talks of adding it to the endangered species list Alvarado hasn’t thrown the former in his last 3 appearances with its last known sighting being a curve fouled off by Francisco Lindor on April 23rd when Alvarado missed high against Connor Norby of the Marlins Alvarado has been a sinker-cutter guy for his entire tenure with the Phillies and I doubt anybody expected him to veer too far away from that identity it might’ve been reasonable to expect the new pitches to make up a little more of the new-look Alvarado’s arsenal His sinker and cutter are working well enough that he hasn’t had to reach for the new pitches If hitters aren’t punishing him for throwing just two pitches what impetus does he have to throw more than two There’s an argument to be made that increasing the proportion of four seamers and curves earlier could keep batters off balance and thus delay the point at which they become better able to recognize and handle the sinker and cutter But throwing pitches that one isn’t quite as comfortable with carries risks of its own Alvarado’s good results point to the wisdom in sticking with what works So where does that leave the curveball and four seamer The four seamer has been seen so rarely that there really isn’t much that can be said about it; 6 pitches is too small of a sample to draw any meaningful conclusion The curveball’s 17 pitches isn’t much more We can say that Alvarado uses the curveball mostly as an option against righties: 15 of the 17 curves he’s thrown this year have been tossed against them We can say he almost never looks to the curveball as an opening salvo as he’s only started an at-bat with it once this year he’s exclusively used it when he’s ahead in the count which might speak both to a decision to primarily use the curveball to trick batters who are already off balance and a lack of comfort with the pitch on Alvarado’s part but Statcast’s lack of data on caffeination stymies further investigation The curveball and four seamer were one of two paths to improvement that Alvarado worked on in the offseason following his disappointing 2024 has been enough to get him where he wants to go and the new pitches have thus served mostly as insurance But just as one never forgets how to ride a bike a pitcher doesn’t really forget how to throw a pitch they’ve already learned If hitters start to get a greater grasp on Alvarado’s cutter and sinker he might turn to the new pitches in greater numbers to keep them at bay if they get a greater grasp on the cutter and sinker CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TDN FOR FREE! Remember Ben with a gift to Thoroughbred aftercare Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts Home » Archive » Top News » Alvarado Rewards Mott's Loyalty With Winning Ride in Derby Godolphin's Michael Banahan and Junior Alvarado celebrating Sovereignty's Derby win | Coady Media letting him ride Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby after he missed the main prep in the GI Florida Derby Alvarado fractured his shoulder blade in a Mar 23 spill at Gulfstream and was sent to the sidelines Manny Franco filled in for the Florida Derby and rode a fine race guiding Sovereignty to a second-place finish That opened the door to a number of possibilities Mott could have kept Franco on the horse or he easily could have enticed one of the sport's two best riders when it became clear that Alvarado would heal up in time to make the Derby but it was also the smartest move he could have made He knew that riding Alvarado gave him the best chance of winning He didn't ride him the last day because of an injury,” said Michael Banahan the director of USA bloodstock for the owner “The confidence that Junior has in a horse especially a horse coming from off the pace like that and knowing him so well I think helped him get there today as well because he knows that he's going to be there for him Manny Franco gave him a great ride down in Florida But he probably wouldn't have had the confidence in him that Junior had because he knows him so well where he was a graduate of that country's jockey academy in 2007 to see if he could make it in the U.S He was the leading rider at Arlington Park in 2009 and 2010 and won his first Grade I in the U.S in 2010 aboard Eclair de Lune (Ger) (Marchand de Sable) From there he set out for New York to challenge himself against some of the best jockeys in the world he seemed to always be in the shadow of the superstars in the New York colony He was not someone you thought of when it came to riding in the Kentucky Derby He did not get his first Derby mount until 2006 and he was 0-for-5 coming into Saturday's race Nobody pays closer attention to details than the Hall of Fame Mott but he saw something in Alvarado that others apparently did not He had his first mounts for Mott in 2011 and went 7-for-20 He liked how Alvarado rode but he also liked the fact that he could turn him into a de facto house jockey He didn't need to hunt for jockey because he knew Alvarado would always be available for him It was part of bond that just kept growing stronger “I wasn't probably completely aware at the time of who I was riding for,” Alvarado told the Daily Racing Form “Maybe a few months you start riding for him and people are saying Mott would still use other riders but his go-to guy became Junior Alvarado He has ridden 416 winners for Mott from 2339 mounts for a 17.8% clip They have combined for 46 graded stakes wins There was something about this combination of jockey and trainer that clicked Alvarado was known as the regular rider of Cody's Wish (Curlin) His most memorable wins on Cody's Wish came in back-to-back running of the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the 2023 GI Metropolitan H Alvarado might have thought it would never get better than that Especially after he had his shoulder problems “I was completely heartbroken,” he said of the shoulder injury All along I knew it was the right horse for me to win the Derby I don't know if I'm going to be able to get another horse like this if I don't get back on time I got the call the next day when I get out of the hospital and you'll get to ride on the horse back.' I think that gave me a peace of mind and to do what I needed to do the right way to recover properly “You don't get that in the business often because this is the nature of the business just having the peace of mind and being able to do what I needed to do it just is something that I will appreciate from Mr His relationship with Mott was among the first things that popped into his head after crossing the Derby finish line while being interviewed by NBC's Donna Brothers on horseback It's like a dream come true to have it come with him and the Godolphin team… He told me the day I got out of the hospital Mott didn't need to be reminded how well his association with Alvarado had worked for both of them I think it made that special,” he said following the race “I think it makes it special for both of us.” Alvarado won't win any riding titles this year and it's unlikely that he will be an Eclipse Award candidate But he is a very good jockey who has forged a relationship with one of the best trainers in the sport Mott was not ready Sunday morning to commit to the GI Preakness S Mott is as methodical as any trainer in the sport and can't be rushed into making decisions “We've got to consider all options with him,” he said Sunday “We certainly respect the Triple Crown and what it means We'll have to let the horse tell us how he's doing in the next little while and then we'll go from there.” I'd be surprised if he were to run in the Preakness While Mott understands the history of the race and the importance of the Triple Crown he will put the horse first and it is unlikely that he will decide that the best thing for Sovereignty is to run back in two weeks in the Preakness.” The Triple Crown needs fixing and the obvious solution is to put more space between the races but not so great when you have a watered-down Triple Crown you can't make any sense out of the wagering in particular people who pay attention to the sport once a year are trying to find the next Mine That Bird (Birdstone) or Rich Strike (Keen Ice) How else can you explain why Render Judgment (Blame) who was a non-threatening fifth in the GI Blue Grass went off at 20-1 while Blue Grass winner Burnham Square was 19-1 Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts. Copy Article Link Editor / News Stories:editor@thetdn.com Advertising:advertising@thetdn.com Customer Service:customerservice@thetdn.com Click Here to sign up for a free subscription About five weeks ago, Junior Alvarado was heartbroken After riding Sovereignty in each of his four career starts Alvarado was forced to watch him race from the hospital it's meant to be," Alvarado thought to himself But something nagged at him. If he couldn't heal up in time to ride the Into Mischief colt in the Kentucky Derby After five attempts with Mohaymen (fourth in 2016) Rocket Can (ninth in 2023) and Resilience (sixth in 2024) This was the right horse for me to win the Derby called him the day after he was discharged from the hospital Mott promised his jockey he'd be able to reunite with Sovereignty in the Run for the Roses as long as he recovered in time his beloved colt proved to the world that they were kismet The pair rode to victory in the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs It marked their fifth start together and second at the commonwealth’s most famed racetrack Alvarado and Sovereignty came out of Post 16 finishing the 1 ¼-mile race in 2:02.31 — ahead of second-place Journalism Sovereignty improved to 3-2-0 across six starts with the win With the victory, Alvarado won his first Triple Crown race and delivered trainer Bill Mott his second Derby win It was Mott's first victory "the natural way," as one reporter put it during their postrace news conference Mott previously won with Country House via disqualification in 2019 "It's just a really special feeling to win and have it happen for the team," Mott said Junior Alvarado." To have had him pilot Sovereignty to victory Another member of that team is ownership group Godolphin Sovereignty and Mott's efforts delivered Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum his first Derby win in 13 tries Godolphin’s best finish before Saturday came with Essential Quality (third) in 2021 Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan gushed over Alvarado after the race Sovereignty had clipped another horse's hind heels and bobbled a bit at the start leading Sovereignty past 3-1 favorite Journalism after a productive turn for home especially a horse coming from off the pace like that I think that really helped him get there today Because he (Sovereignty) knows he's (Alvarado's) going to be there for him." Alvarado stroked Sovereignty's neck as he guided the colt from the mud onto the turf track and toward the winner's circle wrung it out and guided it along Sovereignty's dark brown mane This horse had just granted him immortality The least Alvarado could do was tidy him up a bit before draping the rose garland over his shoulders the only American horse racing event Alvarado could catch on TV was the Kentucky Derby "That would be nice," Alvarado thought then "to be in the United States riding (in) the Kentucky Derby." He had years to plan a victory speech of sorts 'What does it feel (like) to win the Derby?' And I don't know if I'm gonna be able (to) to find the right words that can describe this feeling that I have right now." Reach college sports enterprise reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com LOUISVILLE — As a young boy in Venezuela, Junior Alvarado wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and be a winning jockey He started as what he called a "backboy" in the racing stables in Barquisimeto He remembered hearing about this big race called the Kentucky Derby "We didn't have much access to watch any other races but the Kentucky Derby was the famous race," Alvarado said I thought my only chance to win that race — I had to go to the United States and I had to make it there Alvarado, 38, has now competed in the Kentucky Derby five times. He hoped to be the first to dart past the tall white "FINISH" post this weekend on a bay horse, No. 18 Sovereignty, during his sixth run. (He later ended up winning the race.) Most of those competing this weekend in Kentucky hail from around the world The American Business Immigration Coalition estimates jockeys on visas account for up to 70% of U.S Now, as the Trump administration aims to crack down on many forms of migration those in the industry bank their athletes will be spared from regulatory changes But some across the country are already feeling the pain of living in limbo Many riders come from Mexico, Panama and Venezuela where there are established jockey academies "In Venezuela as well as many other Central and South American countries It is equal to American football," said Ramon Dominguez a retired jockey from Venezuela and member of the U.S "A lot of the kids grow up with the dream of one day becoming a jockey." The Latino presence in American horseracing has evolved over the years From the grooms to some of the winningest jockeys Current and former jockeys said that to compete means sacrifice leaving families behind and training long hours to become the best of the best "Our racing scene has been very much enriched by jockeys from all countries," said Bonnie Smerdon an immigration attorney who helps jockeys with their visas and has been in the industry for almost 10 years "I'm doing more and more jockey visas than [when I] started out in my career." While many come on visas, Smerdon said there are other avenues. For example, she has one client from Venezuela on Temporary Protected Status, a parole program the Trump administration revoked risking the work authorization of hundreds of thousands of immigrants said the opportunities that are getting denied are "heartbreaking." He knows jockeys in limbo with their immigration status They want to better themselves," Alvarado said Smerdon said she has been able to get all her clients' visas approved to bring in more athletes to the U.S. despite the Trump administration's recent crackdowns Others in the industry agree their industry is untouched so far helps jockeys process their immigration paperwork She said it can already be complicated to request an athlete visa for a jockey because the sport is very unique — each athlete can compete for multiple different trainers and on several horses Those in the industry fear future restrictions on visas based on country of origin "I don't want there to be additional restrictions in reviewing those petitions when they are originally submitted," Coleman said noting she is thorough in providing background for the immigration agents wonderful week," she said about the races leading up to the Kentucky Derby "But quite frankly it takes people from all over the world in order to have this fastest two minutes in sports in Kentucky." One reason foreign athletes compete in the U.S is that many skew smaller and lighter than the average American Jockey schools in places like Panama also help shape a high-caliber talent pool "What Latin America is sending us is their highest-trained professionals and people who become influential associate professor at the University of South Carolina specializing in Latin American history and sports "What people don't realize is we're talking about winning trainers who apprenticed in competitions in Venezuela and came to the U.S won once in 2023 and is hoping to land another title on Saturday night there was a big scene for international equestrian opportunities and I wanted to try my luck here in the U.S.," Castellano said noting that his success in Venezuela was the launching point to compete in America "I had to go through the same process as any immigrant of not knowing the language; it's a different culture he came on a tourist visa and then secured a lawyer to help him complete the necessary paperwork to compete in the U.S offers more tracks and horses where jockeys can compete compared to some of the South American countries jockeys come from "God has blessed me with the gift of being able to ride horses and work in something I love," Castellano said. He will take to the track on No. 20, a three-year-old bay horse named Owen Almighty There are many pathways to the coveted track in Louisville. Martin Garcia, 40, riding No. 1 Citizen Bull and will compete in his fourth Kentucky Derby Garcia said he entered the country illegally about 15 years ago "I am really excited that I can ride a horse like those that are here and that I have the opportunity because there are many talented jockeys," Garcia said He grew up around horses on a ranch in Mexico but fell into being a professional jockey once in the U.S my mind is blank; you have to follow the rhythm of the horse," Garcia said were honored by the Louisville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on stage — their many accolades listed off on stage we would not have a Kentucky Derby," said Hank Enright "So it's very important we take a pause and thank these unsung heroes for the most exciting two minutes of sports." One jockey honored was Joel Rosario, who will take to the track aboard No. 14 Tiztastic for another shot at winning (he won in 2013) Rosario started riding at the age of 13 in the Dominican Republic and about 20 years ago he came to the U.S I thought for a bit that it might be better to return to the Dominican Republic," Rosario told NPR at the event and was supported by the owners and trainers." Rosario said he has won more races than he ever thought possible He sees his story as a successful jockey as an immigrant story Rosario said he's noticed an increase in Latino jockeys over the last two decades Latinos have continued advancing and succeeding here in the U.S.," he said Become an NPR sponsor Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates after riding Sovereignty to victory in the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday Junior Alvarado holds the trophy as he celebrates after riding Sovereignty to victory in the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday crosses the finish line to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday celebrates in the winners circle after winning the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday celebrates after ridding Sovereignty to victory in the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday celebrates after riding Sovereignty to victory in the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday Most satisfying was guiding Sovereignty past other horses in the slop before drawing a bead on 3-1 favorite Journalism and chasing him down to win the 151st running at Churchill Downs by 1 1/2 lengths The effort left Alvarado and his mount caked in mud worn proudly along with the garland of red roses that was draped over the winner to be honest,” the 38-year-old Venezuelan rider said of his breakthrough Coming from my country where the only race we would be able to watch back there was just the Kentucky Derby “I said that would be nice to be in the United States and ride in the Kentucky Derby Little by little I started to point that out to be Alvarado’s Derby win highlights a career of Grade 1 triumphs many on some of horse racing’s biggest stages He earned a Triple Crown win in the 2021 Preakness on Rombauer has a handful of Breeders’ Cup championships and won the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational two years ago aboard Bill Mott-trained Art Collector at Gulfstream Park in Florida Saturday’s impressive performance came after Alvarado fractured his shoulder in a March 23 fall at Gulfstream after his horse had a heart attack He returned to racing three weeks later at Keeneland and won a couple of claiming races at Churchill Downs this week — including another fall on Thursday — before bouncing back with a signature ride Riding Sovereignty was never in question despite the injury He missed the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29 — where Manny Franco rode the bay colt to a second-place finish behind Tappan Street — but Mott reiterated that as long as Alvarado was healthy the horse he rode to two graded stakes wins on the Derby trail awaited him “It gave me peace of mind,” the jockey added The next step was clearing several obstacles as the 7-1 third betting choice coming out of the gate clipping heels with a competitor as the 19-horse field passed the grandstand the first time There was concern that Sovereignty might lose a shoe from the contact making sure he didn’t lose too much ground while rounding the turns he was still traveling very beautifully until we hit the five(-eighths) pole,” Alvarado said “Junior did a terrific job of getting him over,” Mott said It set up well for us because they had an honest pace He tipped him out and got him in a spot that he was going to be clear down the backside.” This story has been corrected to show that Sovereignty’s odds to win were 7-1 Channelsreels-467475Reelsarrow-expand-467476José Alvarado gives young fan signed jerseyD-backs @ PhilliesMay 2 2025 | 00:01:20add-reel-467477Reelsshare-square-2-467478ShareJosé Alvarado gifts a signed jersey and hat to Princeton Bailey a young fan who recently went viral for mimicking his pitching You can now search for over 3 million videos by player Use the search box to start your search with a player or a team and then use the filter 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\\\"Play\\\" filters are only available after the 2015 season Videos from 2015 and prior can be searched by player Examples of \\\"Play\\\" filters:Hit ResultPitch ResultPitch Type\"},\"es\":{\"title\":\"¡Ponchado!\",\"body\":\"Aparentemente no hay resultados para tu búsqueda tenga en cuenta que los filtros de Play sólo están disponibles después de la temporada 2015 Los videos de 2015 y anteriores se pueden buscar por jugador There were no clips found for this selection Please refresh the page or try again later No se encontraron clips para esta selección Actualiza la página o vuelve a intentarlo más tarde Executive Circle Awards Long Island’s Hildebrandt’s sponsors Derby-winning jockey Alvarado Sign up for your daily digest of Long Island Business News Listen to this article Long Island Business News has announced that it has chosen this year’s winn[...] The financial landscape of Long Island continues to evolve through the leadership of the remarkable [...] Long Island’s business 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special editions who went viral this past week after being seen on the Phillies broadcast imitating José Alvarado while pitching out of a jam against the Nationals received an invite from the club to watch batting practice before Friday's game Little did Prince know that the very pitcher he had imitated was going to surprise him while at the ballpark as captured by Phillies photographer Mitchell Leff gave Prince and his family the chance to meet Alvarado in person who thanked the young fan and presented him with a signed jersey along with a necklace he had personally made with the colors of Venezuela Prince went on to cheer on the Phils as they took on the Diamondbacks where he was again seen on the broadcast imitating Alvarez in the 9th inning It certainly was a great night at the ballpark this time leaving no question about the validity of the victory left Churchill Downs with wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Columnist C.L. Brown added additional context about trainer Bill Mott, and why this win means a little more compared to his first Derby victory in 2019 Reporter Brooks Holton shares the reaction of the Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism's trainer and jockey after the thoroughbred's second-place finish In what order did the Kentucky Derby finish?Watch the replay of the 151st Kentucky Derby here and you can also learn where every horse finished in the Run for the Roses Reporter Alexis Cubit breaks down Sovereignty's bloodline further, noting the history that was made with his win Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory A funeral service will be held on Saturday 2025 at 10:00 AM at Our Lady of the Highways Catholic Church NC.  Burial will follow in Holly Hill Memorial Park Cemetery NC.  A visitation will be held on Friday 2025 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at the J.C NC.  Online condolences may be sent to www.jcgreenandsons.com 2025 7:25 PM EDTThe horse Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby on May 3 despite a tough competition from the favorite Journalism Alvarado is the Venezuelan son of a jockey Sovereignty "is a 3-year-old colt and has raced from 2024 to 2025," according to Horse Racing Nation.  "He was sired by Into Mischief out of the Bernardini mare Crowned,"  the site reported Alvarado said on the live NBC broadcast that Sovereignty "got me all the way to the wire I thought I had a great chance." He also said that he wanted to "thank my Lord for giving me this Kentucky Derby win." He said he was "so confident" all week It was Alvarado's first Kentucky Derby win "I have no words," declaring the victory "indescribable." He said during the broadcast that he had FaceTimed with his mom On X Junior Alvarado's profile picture shows him with his wife The page says he has three kids and two dogs He is from Venezuela, and his father was also a jockey, according to the NBC broadcast. Alvarado has lifetime earnings of more than $147 million, according to America's Best Racing. "Alvarado was originally to be named Rafael Alvarado Jr but when his father went to register the name it came out Junior Rafael Alvarado and he's been called Junior ever since," that site reported His riding career began in 2007 in South Florida Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates atop of Sovereignty #18 in winners circle after winning the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 03 Michael Reaves/Getty Images “My dad was a rider too. I did pretty good as a bug boy in Venezuela but my dad always put it in my mind, ‘You should go to the United States.’ I’m like, ‘I’m doing good here.’ I wasn’t really thirsty,” Alvarado said to This Is Horse Racing “We watched racing from the United States get somebody to sign your paper.’ He was the one with the idea.” "Sovereignty has emerged as a serious Kentucky Derby contender," the Kentucky Derby's website page for the horse still says.  The website says the horse was "brandishing the combination of tactical speed and finishing power that stamps him as a classic prospect The Bill Mott-trained Godolphin homebred has shown remarkable progression through his four-race career culminating in a gutsy neck victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2)."  "By leading sire Into Mischief out of the Bernardini mare Crowned Sovereignty's pedigree presents an intriguing blend of speed and stamina influences While Into Mischief is often associated with brilliant milers his ability to sire classic runners is well established The Bernardini bottom side adds a crucial layer of stamina suggesting the 1 1/4-mile Derby distance is within reach." 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 Sovereignty covered the 1 1/4 miles on a sloppy track in 2:02.31 and paid $17.96 on a $2 win wager that horse was just there for me every single time," said Alvarado “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 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 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 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 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 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 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 as Country House contracted a virus following his Kentucky Derby victory and never raced again wasn't ready to commit Saturday night to heading to the Preakness "Especially when you get a closer from off the pace they have to lay their body on the line a little bit 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 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 Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com Jockey Junior Alvarado fell off his horse during the ninth race Thursday at Churchill Downs Caramel Chip was disqualified and eventually corralled Alvarado and Caramel Chip were fine after the race rode Classic Legacy to victory in the eighth race Thursday at Churchill Downs Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit When you and your favorite pitcher are locked in! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/dnKlDXneLa Young fan captures Alvarado's attention: 'I want to know that kid'May 1st fired three nasty cutters to strike out Josh Bell Dylan Crews and Alex Call swinging in the eighth inning on Tuesday night “I want to know that kid,” Alvarado said on Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park An NBC Sports Philadelphia camera found Bailey in the stands during Alvarado’s bases-loaded jam The broadcast kept cutting back and forth from Alvarado to Bailey who mimicked Alvarado’s setup and delivery When you and your favorite pitcher are locked in! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/dnKlDXneLa Bailey will be back at the ballpark on Friday for the Phillies’ series opener against Arizona He told Prince that he got free tickets from the Phillies Prince lives with his grandparents in Newark Prince had begged his grandfather forever to go to a Phillies game Troy got a pair of tickets for Prince’s 12th birthday Prince is on the lower end of the autism spectrum He is introverted but interactive with kids at school Prince will imitate batting stances and pitching deliveries “A couple friends at school and a few teachers came up to him today,” Bailey said You helped them win.’ He’s just a very lovable kid But I don’t want to look back at last year I just know that right now I want to learn about that kid that was pitching.” finishing the race in 2 minutes and 2 seconds on a rain-soaked track in Louisville Out of the 19 horses that competed this year in the 151st edition of the iconic race, the colt, Journalism, was favored to win. Journalism took second place. The last time a favored horse won the race was in 2018 when Justify crossed the finish line The victory hands Venezuelan jockey Junior Alvarado his first career win in the Kentucky Derby has won the Kentucky Derby once before — the result of a disqualification in 2019 A day of races culminated in the Kentucky Derby — a 1 1/4 mile race lasting about two minutes Although the horses that compete in the race complete a series of qualifying races most famous horse race is like no other because many of the 3-year-old horses competing have not raced that long of a distance before Many of them also have not raced with that many other horses on the track with them "That's not necessarily a natural thing for a horse to deal with," Amy Lawyer, the chair of equine administration at the University of Louisville's business school, told NPR earlier this week it's a lot of new experiences that the horse is going through and it makes it really exciting and really unpredictable." left a muddy track for the horses to traverse The weather added another unknown variable to how the race would unfold as horses react differently to wet tracks and some have never raced in such conditions Decorated but controversial trainer Bob Baffert returned to the race this year — for the first time since his ban from the Kentucky Derby — with his horse tested positive for drugs after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby The horse later collapsed and died while training in 2022 Churchill Downs suspended Baffert from competing at the track for three years If Citizen Bull had won, Baffert, who has won six Kentucky Derbies, would have accomplished "a feat that no trainer has ever done in racing before," Molly Rollins of the racing industry publication the BloodHorse, told NPR earlier this week Churchill Downs has also faced scrutiny in the last few years The famous racetrack shut down in 2023 after 12 horses died at the track within a month Rollins told NPR that the racetrack has implemented changes since then to protect the horses including making the surface of the track safer for horses and ensuring closer observation of competing horses by veterinarians in the week leading up to the race "These changes have so far proved effective," Rollins said "There were no breakdowns during the Derby week last year." 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Channelsreels-470331Reelsarrow-expand-470332José Alvarado's electric inning Nationals @ PhilliesApril 29 2025 | 00:01:03add-reel-470333Reelsshare-square-2-470334ShareJosé Alvarado strikes out three straight batters and escapes a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 8th inning Jockey Junior Alvarado and his equine partner Sovereignty took home the win The team went into the Derby with 9:1 odds for coming out victorious It was a very tight race as Journalism and Baeza were both less than two lengths behind them Journalism was the favorite going into this race Alvarado had his first win thanks to his exceptional teammate I thought I had a great chance," says Alvarado His confidence was at an all time high going into the race and it showed through his riding The 71-year-old horse trainer Bill Mott is a huge part of this team's win He was inducted into the hall of fame in 1998 but this was his first win of the Kentucky Derby Mott has also earned the Eclipse Award Trainer of the Year in 1995 Churchill Downs is a bucket list venue for many throughout the world With over 147,000 in attendance this year it was notoriously successful one of the greatest athletes this world has seen was one of the many celebrities that made the trip to Kentucky The Kentucky Derby was the start of the triple crown race Soveriegnty and Alvarado are now on the hunt for one of the most difficult accomplishments for any athlete in any discipline The Preakness is ran on May17 and the Belmont will be ran in June As the horse race year goes on we look forward to seeing what this team can do and maybe we will see another triple crown winner this year MADDY DICKENS The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardMeet the 12-year-old Phillies fan who went viral for imitating José Alvarado: ‘He was in his own little zone’“He really thought he helped the Phillies win," said Troy Bailey of his grandson Princeton who can expect an invitation back to the Bank from Alvarado He assumed the fan was talking about the Jumbotron » READ MORE: Wild pitch ends wild night with a walk-off win for Phillies: ‘We’ve got to clean it up’ “It was on the broadcast,” said the 57-year-old tax adviser a 12-year-old student at Kirk Middle School in Newark the camera caught him meticulously imitating Alvarado starting from when the pitcher lifted his glove to his chest After Alvarado struck out Call in a 7-6 Phillies victory Prince invented his own celebration: An imaginary arrow launched into the night sky The moment quickly made its rounds on social media since his grandson does his pitching imitations during every inning of every Phillies game Troy took Prince to his first Eagles game in December. Like clockwork, the middle schooler began mimicking quarterback Jalen Hurts Prince asked if they could attend a Phillies game in 2025 His grandfather bought him tickets for his 12th birthday It was his first time at Citizens Bank Park “He really thought he helped the Phillies win.” It hasn’t allowed for much time to take her son — a devoted Phillies fan — to the ballpark which made Tuesday night all the more special is planning to start playing youth baseball next year » READ MORE: ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Doug Glanville on the center-field void, his Jimmy Rollins story, and more He said he has already learned a lot from watching the Phillies pitching staff “I don’t [play baseball] but I do the moves “He doesn’t know the pitchers’ names,” added Troy He learned to love the game from his grandfather the same one he brought to the ballpark on Tuesday night He asked his grandfather if he could buy one for himself “When he’s watching [Phillies games] at home What you saw on national TV is how he is watching TV at home He walks around the house doing his stance.” These imitations aren’t just limited to the confines of the Baileys’ living room Prince will do them everywhere: at the supermarket » READ MORE: With Cristopher Sánchez back and Ranger Suárez close, the Phillies mull a six-man rotation it was only natural that when he was at Citizens Bank Park for the first time Prince decided to bring his glove and study the pitchers as they navigated a lineup Troy said he was “locked in” the entire time “He didn’t get up to go to the bathroom or nothing,” he said Troy began to receive texts from family members and clients one of Prince’s teachers pulled him aside during class “They said that they were seeing me on the TV,” Prince said “And then I did the same [pitching] form for them.” Another person who took notice was Alvarado He plans on inviting the 12-year-old to a game [I asked] if he can send a message to somebody who works on the team He added: “I can’t wait to see this kid here.” Phillies reporter Lochlahn March contributed to this article Jockey Junior Alvarado smiles aboard Sovereignty after winning the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park there was not much (international) TV back then when I was riding there but there was one race for sure that you always would watch: the Kentucky Derby," Alvarado said walking between stables on his way to breeze horses the morning of April 27 hope I get the opportunity to be there one day and win the Derby.' Like I would just imagine winning the Derby would be something probably indescribable And I just think I have my best chance coming this Saturday." Not one of his five rides was deemed by the betting public to be as capable of winning the Derby as Sovereignty, who won the March 1 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and the last fall's Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs with Alvarado in the saddle Photo: Coady Media/John GallagherSovereignty wins the 2024 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs as he had been in Sovereignty's four other starts "I was just like devastated," Alvarado said you'll get to ride all your horses back So you do what you need to do.' And that gave me peace of mind and I think that actually helped me to do what I needed to do just the right way Alvarado resumed riding on April 16 at Keeneland bringing his North American win total to 2,234 Alvarado has additional victories in Venezuela Speaking on a National Thoroughbred Racing Association teleconference April 24 Mott noted the rider's familiarity with the late-running colt "He's got a good sense of what the horse wants to do and his way of running," the trainer said I believe Junior has a feeling for how much horse he's got left under him and when he needs to get him started." Alvarado said that by riding for Mott frequently and breezing many of his horses in the mornings Alvarado similarly had a rapport with the Mott-trained Cody's Wish who now stands at stud in Kentucky at Darley the global horse racing organization founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum The Derby is one of the select grade/group 1 races worldwide that has eluded Godolphin. Godolphin also has the speedy East Avenue  in the Derby with Franco picking up that ride on the Brendan Walsh trainee Alvarado said he is excited for Saturday's race saying a Derby victory "would mean the world to me." His wife and his three children will be in attendance who is mostly based in New York from spring through fall "I think especially I want to do it for my family since they've been with me through the ups and downs so they get the happiness that I get when I win a race." Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLOUISVILLE (WKYT) - On a sloppy track in front of over 147,000 fans at Churchill Downs Kentucky-bred Sovereignty (9-1) pulled away to win the 151st Kentucky Derby Journalism rallied around the outside in the turn for home along with Sovereignty They were separated by a nose with 1/16 of a mile to go but Sovereignty found a second wind to pull away and win the $5 million It’s the first Kentucky Derby win for owner Godolphin and trainer Junior Alvarado It is also the first time Sovereignty won a Grade I stakes race will run on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and said trend continued on Tuesday night in Philadelphia With Jose Alvarado on the mound in the top of the 8th inning and the Phillies holding a 3-2 lead over the Washington Nationals a fan in the stands followed the relief pitcher's every move as he struck out three straight batters with the bases loaded Gotta love the Phillies fan on the broadcast when José Alvarado struck out three straight with the bases loaded.Electric.pic.twitter.com/HlDX8xaH44 Naturally, the video went viral and—as relayed by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Lochlan March—Alvarado has not only seen it "It was awesome," the pitcher told March I can't wait to see this kid here." While Tuesday night was the 12-year-old fan's first time attending a Phillies game his performance in the stands may end up lining him up for his second in the near future fracturing his shoulder in a racing spill at Gulfstream Park and thus was unable to ride Sovereignty in his final prep race among others."Certain things click," Mott said The Kentucky-bred Sovereignty followed Journalism around the far turn and overtook the favorite in the stretch racing over the sloppy surface to complete 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.31 and Final Gambit checked in fourth.Sovereignty also represents the first Kentucky Derby winner for owner/breeder Godolphin who won yesterday's Kentucky Oaks with Good Cheer and trainer Brad Cox Godolphin is the first ownership group to complete the Oaks-Derby double since 1952 (Calumet Farm).Earlier on Saturday Godolphin also sent out the winner of 2,000 Guineas with Ruling Court trained by Charlie Appleby."Do we expect to win these type of races you don't," said Godolphin's Michael Banahan "You just expect to have some nice horses that you can give them the opportunity give them to great trainers like we have. "And if we get one good enough to win the Derby Citizen Bull came off the rail to be five-wide the first time up the stretch shuffling back American Promise and Neoequos before jockey Martin Garcia got him to settle a bit closer to the rail.The drama down inside left a bit of room for Journalism to get to the rail heading into the first turn Chunk of Gold came over in front of Sovereignty and Alvarado had to take up briefly; Alvarado settled the eventual winner into his stride in fourth-from-last up against the inside rail.Citizen Bull was joined by Neoequos and Owen Almighty through fractions of 22.81 and 46.23 seconds with American Promise and Admire Daytona also prominently-placed early Owen Almighty moved up to briefly hold the lead at the top of the stretch jockey Umberto Rispoli said "go" aboard Journalism and got up into fourth position Alvarado was following just behind that rival on Sovereignty and angled one path to the favorite's outside turning into the stretch.Journalism and Sovereignty hooked up battling head-and-head at the three-sixteenths pole Sovereignty took the lead at the sixteenth pole and pulled away to win by 1 1/2 lengths Journalism kept fighting all the way through the line to be second while late-running Baeza and Final Gambit filled out the superfecta.The remaining order of finish was as follows: Owen Almighty Bred in Kentucky by the Godolphin operation, Sovereignty is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Crowned, who is out of two-time Grade 1 winner Mushka (Empire Maker). Mushka was trained by Mott, as was Sovereignty's third dam, Sluice, also a stakes winner.Sovereignty won the G3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs in his third lifetime start Sovereignty then launched his 3-year-old campaign with a win in the G2 Fountain of Youth but finished second in his final prep when Alvarado was unable to ride in the G1 Florida Derby.Overall Sovereignty has won three of his six lifetime starts for earnings of $3,672,800 She is a graduate of the University of Louisville's Equine Industry Program She is passionate about equine advocacy and bettering the human-equine relationship.  did not have enough points to make the Kentucky Derby but looks to be the standout in the traditional prep for the Belmont Channelsreels-471353Reelsarrow-expand-471354Adorable Phillies fan imitates José AlvaradoNationals @ PhilliesApril 29 2025 | 00:00:31add-reel-471355Reelsshare-square-2-471356SharePrinceton "Prince" Bailey imitates José Alvarado in a high-leverage situation against the Nationals Si aún así continua teneindo problemas, por favor descríbalo aquí y haremos todo lo posible por resolverlo. Sorry, this product is unavailable. Please choose a different combination. Francisco Alvarado will be hosting his second painting exhibition at the McColl Center Francisco Alvarado is a self-taught painter who approaches art as a kind of joyful escape from his work as an engineer and businessman Select paintings will be available through a silent auction with all proceeds benefiting the Marand Scholarship Fund — empowering students pursuing careers in STEM Email: info@qcnerve.com OR (f)(last name)@qcnerve.com Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboard‘He got my heart’: José Alvarado meets the 12-year-old Phillies fan who was imitating himAlvarado surprised Prince Bailey with autographed baseballs and a beaded necklace that the reliever made himself Princeton “Prince” Bailey walked onto the tarp behind the batting cage at Citizens Bank Park with a rotating group of ballplayers taking hacks in front but he escaped the jam by striking out three hitters in a row raising an imaginary bow and arrow into the sky Alvarado saw the video after he was done getting treatment on Tuesday night and a million people were writing messages,” he said Friday The left-handed reliever decided to do something about it who reached out to the Phillies to see if they could track him down the team invited him and his family to the ballpark for Friday night’s game against the Diamondbacks — with a special surprise He carried a plastic bag full of signed baseballs and a beaded necklace that Alvarado made himself He shook hands with Prince and put his arm around the young fan “I’m so proud… when I saw the video… Are you excited to be here?” » READ MORE: Andrew Painter is one step from his major league debut: His next start will be at Lehigh Valley who is a student at Kirk Middle School in Newark His family said he is on the autism spectrum he was nervous about being so close to the players “I feel good about it,” Prince said of being at Citizens Bank Park Alvarado didn’t just sign his name on the memorabilia I felt them all the way from the stands and I hope they keep following me throughout the season “El Pocho,” and another short message: “God bless you Princeton.” The reliever wrote the same message on the Phillies cap he gave the middle schooler The ballplayer and the student talked for a few more minutes Alvarado told Princeton how appreciative he was of his energy The Bailey family planned to watch Friday‘s game from a handicap section (Prince’s grandmother It was a life-changing experience for Bailey who had never been to a Phillies game before Tuesday night “It’s a lesson that your life can change in the blink of an eye “Seventeen seconds and the whole world fell in love with this kid.” Channelsreels-472955Reelsarrow-expand-472956José Alvarado secures Phillies' 3-2 victory with KD-backs @ PhilliesMay 2 2025 | 00:00:28add-reel-472957Reelsshare-square-2-472958ShareJosé Alvarado gets Geraldo Perdomo to strike out swinging to seal the Phillies' 3-2 win over the D-backs wins the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs NBC Sports' milestone 25th presentation of the Kentucky Derby delivered an NBC Sports-record average of 17.7 million viewers on NBC and Peacock -- marking the largest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989 (18.5 million viewers won by Sunday Silence) and a 6% increase from last year (16.7 million viewers for Mystik Dan's victory in a three-horse photo finish) Viewership peaked at 21.8 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m as Sovereignty ran to a 1 1/2-length victory over Journalism The peak audience was the largest ever for an NBC Sports presentation of the Kentucky Derby (up 8% from 20.1 million last year) the "Run for the Roses" posted NBC Sports' largest streaming audience for a horse racing event with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 959,000 viewers -- up 34% from last year (714,000) and nearly tripling 2023 (371,000) NBC Sports has averaged 15+ million viewers across all platforms for 10 of the last 12 Kentucky Derby races held in May (2013-2024 excludes 2020 Covid-impacted event which was moved to September) the 2025 Kentucky Derby will rank as NBC's most-watched Saturday program since the NFL Wild Card Playoffs in January 2024 (excluding Paris Olympics) Total Audience Delivery is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics Official metrics will be available on Tuesday Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty has been invited to take the next step towards the Triple Crown at the Preakness Stakes NBC Sports' coverage of the 150th Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore begins with the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday NBC Sports presents the 150th Preakness Stakes on Saturday on a Churchill Downs racing surface the consistency of peanut butter and under skies the color of slate we watched trainer Bill Mott walk triumphantly through the mud and into the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle And yet these two triumphs were markedly different experiences Mott’s victory with 65–1 bomb shot Country House was both wildly improbable and wildly controversial It came after a 23-minute wait as racing stewards studied video of the race and disqualified the apparent winner and Mott is unapologetic about that first one Asked in April what he tells people who ask whether he’s ever won a Derby Mott’s answer was “you’re damn right I did.” Still coming by way of the only in-race DQ in the 151-year history of America’s oldest continuous sporting event Country House’s career ended right then and there; illness and injury prevented him from ever running again Saturday night, Mott’s colt crossed under the wire first. The roars were all for Sovereignty—no doubt and no debate. The 7–1 third choice, benefiting from a predictably stout early pace that set up the race for his closing surge rolled powerfully past favored Journalism in the stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths It was the first Derby victory for Godolphin the massive international racing entity that is powered by Arab money and ambition and finally fulfilled a decades-long quest It was the first Derby victory for jockey Junior Alvarado who came back from a fractured shoulder blade suffered in a spill in March and piloted Sovereignty with patience and confidence It was the record-tying third Derby victory by the progeny of red-hot sire Into Mischief who also fathered 2020 winner Authentic and ’21 winner Mandaloun But most strikingly it was the second victory for the 71-year-old Mott a Hall of Fame conditioner who is widely regarded as one of the ultimate horsemen in the sport but he also deserved the immediate thrill of victory this time around “This is better,” Mott acknowledged Saturday night as the human wave of celebration cascaded immediately out of the Churchill grandstand and toward the winner’s circle Mott could grab his 33-year-old son Riley in a hug that sent tears spilling out of the stoic father’s eyes Riley Mott spent his entire upbringing learning the training business from his father and ventured out on his own three years ago—he won the third race at Churchill Downs on Friday making this the ultimate racing weekend for the family “I think he might have been just as excited yesterday (when the younger Mott’s horse won) as he was today,” Riley Mott said this is the apex of a career he really could never have envisioned as a young kid growing up in South Dakota He listened to his first Kentucky Derby in 1967 in a GMC pickup with a horse trailer hitched to the back and while Mott was already bitten by the racing bug his world was too small to foresee where it would take him “Never dreamed that I’d ever come to Kentucky,” Mott said “I never imagined even being at Churchill Downs.” stabling horses at Churchill and quickly becoming a strong presence in the Kentucky racing circuit and at one point was the all-time winningest trainer in Churchill history Mott trained one of the all-time great thoroughbreds in the 1990s Cigar won 16 straight races in one stretch under Mott one of the most dominant runs in racing history the world revolves around the Triple Crown races and Mott didn’t win any of those until capturing the Belmont in 2010 he was probably underappreciated until he started winning the biggest race of them all While Country House was a flukish Derby winner nobody saw coming Sovereignty’s career unfolded pretty much like clockwork The Godolphin homebred won a Grade III stakes race last fall at Churchill in his third career start then backed it up with a victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in Florida on March 1—a major stop on the Derby trail Even his second-place finish in the Florida Derby did nothing to dampen the belief that Sovereignty had what it took to be a major player on the first Saturday in May His pedigree assured that he was bred to run the 1 1/4 miles and his closing style is a good fit as the Derby pace has become gradually quicker in recent years Sovereignty came to Louisville as a prime contender then looked splendid on the track every morning the understated Mott tipped his hand to the Godolphin execs: “This was a serious racehorse work.” The Mott training routine rarely varies with his Derby horses He will accompany them to the track on horseback then instruct his exercise rider to bring the colt to a stop for a brief surveying of the scene before commencing with the morning work Mott will back his pony up against the backstretch railing and take it all in If Bob Baffert is the glib jokester of the sport and D Bill Mott is the buttoned-down supporting actor But he’s never lacked for confidence in himself or his horses you can’t have many hiccups in your training schedule or the way the horse is doing,” Mott said “When it goes that smoothly and you know you’ve got a talented horse that’s capable of probably winning a race like this And I really believe this was a very good field of Derby horses and there were some really nice-moving horses in here.” Coming off four consecutive victories in California “We knew what Journalism did out in California,” Godolphin’s Michael Banahan said With Journalism possessing more natural speed the race set up for Sovereignty to track him into the latter stages before unleashing his closing run Citizen Bull set the early pace with Journalism running in mid-pack and Sovereignty unhurried near the back He had just three horses beaten through the first half mile then briefly dropped back to 17th in the 19-horse field with half a mile to run That was perfectly fine with Alvarado and Mott Alvarado did the important work early by maneuvering Sovereignty from an outside post to the rail in short order “You’re not going to be wide on both turns and win these type of races,” Mott said They made what was a classic Churchill “track kitchen” move—launching their five-furlong drive near the backside kitchen that is outside the rail near the top of the far turn Journalism had clear sailing outside of the tiring leaders At that point it was clear that the better closer would move into the lead With 14–1 Baeza finishing third, this was the long-awaited return to normalcy for a race that has been filled with strange outcomes in recent years The last three Derby winners have never won another race running their record of futility to 0-for-14 when 2024 champion Mystik Dan lost a stakes race at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas on Saturday Sovereignty seems like a strong candidate to break that streak although on Saturday night nobody was committing him to the Preakness for the second leg of the Triple Crown Mott isn’t a huge fan of running horses back in just two weeks preferring to point his 3-year-olds toward the Belmont in June but it would be bad for the sport if Sovereignty skipped out on a Triple Crown bid the trainer can revel in another joyous mud bath on the first Saturday in May Gray Derby days and gray-haired Bill Mott just seem to go together But that merely made the race all the more memorable SOVEREIGNTY RULES THE 151st KENTUCKY DERBY! 🌹 #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/WfLBrG4Zv4 Another great race in the books at Churchill Downs Washington Post immigration reporter Maria Sacchetti earned herself a wave of backlash when she attempted to use Saturday’s Kentucky Derby winner — Sovereignty ridden by Venezuelan immigrant Junior Alvarado — as a cudgel with which to dishonestly attack President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies on illegal immigration and mass deportation like so many others in broadcast and print media conflated Alvarado — a legal immigrant from Venezuela — with the millions of illegal immigrants in the United States suggesting that it Trump was allowed to continue deporting criminal illegals Alvarado and others like him would be among them who have sought to expel hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans are celebrating the victory of Sovereignty at the Kentucky Derby is an immigrant from Venezuela,” Sacchetti posted via X Sovereignty’s jockey, Junior Alvarado, is an immigrant from Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/vbGAGh7GS3 — Maria Sacchetti (@mariasacchetti) May 4, 2025 Critics quickly pointed out the fact that Alvarado was in the United States legally — and Trump’s deportation policies were aimed primarily at those who were not only in the country illegally but had also committed additional crimes since their arrival Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon posted legal immigrants are awesome and many serve in the Trump administration Stop conflating law-abiding citizens with criminal gangbangers In America, legal immigrants are awesome and many serve in the Trump administration. I am one. Junior Alvarado is leading in sports. Many like Elon change the world. Stop conflating law-abiding citizens with criminal gangbangers, drug dealers, and human traffickers. We see you. https://t.co/LX32GXPQwO — Harmeet K. Dhillon (@HarmeetKDhillon) May 4, 2025 So the entire (dishonest) implication of your premise is that he entered the country illegally and Alvarado is now at risk of being deported Except he came here legally,” Joe Concha added “The ‘hundreds of thousands’ of Venezuelans Trump is seeking to expel entered illegally.” Except he came here legally. The “hundreds of thousands” of Venezuelans Trump is seeking to expel entered illegally. https://t.co/0lJPgGMOPn — Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) May 4, 2025 and Latinos as a whole to pretend that cracking down on illegal immigration would exclude jockeys An immigration attorney quoted in the article confirms there’s been no problem obtaining visas for foreign jockeys I think these people actually believe their own propaganda,” Laura Powell said An immigration attorney quoted in the article confirms there’s… https://t.co/JGL9otuuUA pic.twitter.com/r8z2tC2BTu — Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) May 4, 2025 “This woman is allegedly an immigration ‘reporter’ for the Washington Post and does not understand the difference between LEGAL immigrants and ILLEGAL immigrants,” Abigail Jackson posted This woman is allegedly an immigration “reporter” for the Washington Post and does not understand the difference between LEGAL immigrants and ILLEGAL immigrants. https://t.co/RfT6AWoMbN — Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) May 4, 2025 “I wonder if she understands that her assertion demonstrates that Trump supporters don’t hate people because of their ethnicity but instead want illegal aliens gone regardless,” Kurt Schlicter added I wonder if she understands that her assertion demonstrates that Trump supporters don’t hate people because of their ethnicity but instead want illegal aliens gone regardless https://t.co/dcpNlC7BAM — Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) May 4, 2025 Your information could be the missing piece to an important story Submit your tip today and make a difference WASHINGTON – It was a good day for Sovereignty, a bad day for Journalism and a day of celebration for members of the Trump administration Two of President Donald Trump’s top aides cheered when Sovereignty rallied down the stretch and beat the favorite, Journalism, to win the 151st Kentucky Derby “In the Trump administration, Sovereignty will ALWAYS win,” Stephen Miller Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a former Fox News personality who has feuded with the press amid reports that he shared sensitive military information through an unsecured channel offered his own commentary on the Derby finish Neither Miller nor Hegseth mentioned an important detail: Junior Alvarado the jockey who rode Sovereignty to victory a move that would clear the way for their deportation The jockey moved to the United States in 2007, before former President Joe Biden designated Venezuelans eligible for temporary protected status The Justice Department asked the justices to put on hold a federal judge's order that halted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's decision to terminate the temporary legal status previously granted to some Venezuelans Kentucky Derby purse, payout: How much money did winner Sovereignty take home? The administration has deported hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador arguing these individuals are members of a gang called Tren De Aragua and that they were expelled from the United States because of national security concerns Relatives and lawyers of many of the men deported deny they were Tren de Aragua members and say the deportees were not given the chance to contest the administration's allegations (AP) — Sovereignty gave trainer Bill Mott a second Kentucky Derby victory This time there was no doubt about it and no asterisk The 3-year-old colt outdueled 3-1 favorite Journalism down the stretch to win the 151st Derby in the slop on Saturday snapping an 0 for 13 skid by owner Godolphin when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and was disqualified during a 22-minute delay It took a few minutes for Saturday’s results to be made official while the stewards sorted out a photo for second and reviewed a traffic-choked start Mott knew all the while who earned the garland of red roses “This one got there the right way,” the Hall of Fame trainer said he comes from a great organization and I can’t say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and made this happen.” Godolphin is the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and earlier Saturday Ruling Court — a son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify — won the 2,000 Guineas in Britain “I’ve had quite a long relationship with the Godolphin team and the man behind the Godolphin operation splashed through 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.31 and paid $17.96 to win at 7-1 odds He’s the record 20th horse with a name starting with “S” to win The victory was worth $3.1 million from the $5 million purse “I think it will take a little while to sink in.” Journalism didn’t have the cleanest of trips in the 19-horse field He found trouble early before jockey Umberto Rispoli swung him outside to get him in the clear They made a move at the leaders with Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado right behind them I’m ready,’ so from there I started picking up,” Alvarado said The two colts hooked up for a sixteenth of a mile for a thrilling battle against the backdrop of 147,406 roaring and rain-soaked fans before Sovereignty surged ahead inside the eighth pole and drew clear “I saw the blue silks (of Godolphin) coming at us and I knew that was the one we were going to have to be concerned about,” said Michael McCarthy He and Sovereignty were reunited after Alvarado had missed the colt’s last start in the Florida Derby because he was injured “It’s more than a dream come true,” the 38-year-old Venezuelan said Fast-closing Baeza — who got into the race on Thursday after another horse was scratched — was a neck back in third Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth the lone entry for six-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert Baffert was back on the first Saturday in May having serving a three-year suspension by Churchill Downs after his Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first in 2021 and failed a postrace drug test saw his colt American Promise finish right behind Baffert in 15th with the Churchill Downs dirt strip listed as sloppy and fans protecting their fancy hats and clothing with clear plastic ponchos AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing Copyright 2025 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Lisa Alvarado is an artist and musician based in Chicago Her practice gravitates towards creative traditions of overcoming and exuberant forms of resilience Her perspective is rooted in the underrepresented American history of the Chicanx/Mexican American diaspora She plays harmonium in the band Natural Information Society and uses her free-hanging paintings as mobile stage sets for their performances Soboleva on the New Social Environment (episode 1177) In the conversation that follows they discuss the role of functionality in Alvarado’s practice how the artist embraced the concept of rasquache and her deep appreciation for the intersection of visual and sonic forms Installation view: Lisa Alvarado: Shape of Artifact Time Soboleva (Rail): I’m so excited to speak with you today I had the pleasure of witnessing your show and performance on Friday—the last day of February—which was beautifully done with the Natural Information Society during sunset in the magnificent space that is the temporary Kitchen and your work was creating all these different patterns in the space I gained a new understanding of what you mean when you refer to your work as “vibrational aesthetics,” because both the visual and the sonic landscapes were creating movement in the space I wanted to start by asking how you first became interested in this relationship between sound and the visual Lisa Alvarado: The works in the show are from an ongoing series of free-hanging pieces that I’ve been using as stage-settings for Natural Information Society but also about textiles and liminality and transformation The series started when I switched from working on stretchers to free-hanging paintings It arrived at a time when I was done with school and I went back home to San Antonio I noticed the visual objects that had always been around me and how they had an influence on what I was making I didn’t think of any of those objects or histories as art forms and I realized that I wasn’t taught anything about the visual history of the area in school And the art canon—basically European art history—that I had been taught left out objects that had functionality like serapes that are all over the restaurants in San Antonio or worn as a poncho by my mom in the winter or a bed in a family home—I was always seeing these textiles and I really didn’t think of them as an art form and how these limitations of categorization leave out so many visual objects And I wanted my work to connect further with functionality and it was challenging for me to even create the stretchers without access to a wood shop I felt a certain freedom working on unstretched canvas I could make the piece any size and it could be more immersive I could take the painting off the wall and roll it up and put it away I could unroll them and bring them into any situation I wanted to connect further to textiles and those histories that they recall I began to understand textile as a more inclusive historical framework that I could fit into and connect more to the histories I'm coming from Also at that time I was living in a very musical household My partner was making soundtracks and working in several different bands We would do recordings and have rehearsals in our home And I started to see that musical life bridging into the work that I was making I would see people walk or play in front of the paintings in rehearsals I started to see the work with a community of people everything I make has a rhythm or movement and pulse even if I didn’t understand where that was coming from when I was a younger artist And maybe I questioned that: “Why does it always need to have this motion?” I think it was something that I paid attention to a lot as a child and at some point I understood that movement was a part of my language And so I became aware of these relationships in my work but also in textiles—learning about textiles and thinking about how they can be forms and expressions that talk about time these repeating opposites that are always in relationship textiles—they all started to come together in my work And I was embracing that liminal space of textiles that in-between sort of space of uncertainty What does it mean to make pieces that are talking about artifacts And I wanted to use them within my life and connect to functionality I didn’t want to wait for an invitation or anything and I started to bring them to music venues and put them into the space of the performance because the work started to gain these layers of history and experience through being a part of that community and absorbing the history of those moments of time creating spaces where people could be within this transient zone You could roll it up and unroll it in any space and they could bring you to some kind of different Rail: This idea of the liminal space is something that you return to and the gesture of suspending your works at The Kitchen from the ceiling challenges painting’s traditional position on the wall and surely affects the viewer’s physical awareness and interaction with the work I remember seeing your works from the series “Vibratory Cartography: Nepantla” (2021–22) at the Whitney Biennial in 2022 but I think the title of those pieces referenced in-betweenness shows up differently when you work across different media How did this idea of in-betweenness show up in your life it relates to the migrant experience of being in between countries Alvarado: I’ve always been interested in nature I remember as a little kid I was obsessed with knowing how the night turned into day but I didn’t know how it happened on the other end I used to try to force myself to wake up at different times and sometimes I would wake up too early and be waiting around But I remember once I found out that it was the same thing as the sunset just in reverse—that was so exciting to me and I became really interested in that transient moment where the daylight and the night meet and touch and you have all the gradations of colors coexisting and visible in one moment where two opposites or differences touch and meet has always been interesting to me—within nature teachers and different people didn’t really understand what I was going through I started relating that to the experience of invisibility I always heard certain stories from my father of the past That’s one aspect of the photos that are in the show They’re from around the time of Mexican Repatriation My family on both sides lived in the South Texas area since before Texas was annexed into the US and it may have been because they had a little farm So they had to leave everything and live in Mexico only to be solicited a few years later to come back and work in the US as migrant farm laborers under the Bracero Program which was a labor program that started in 1942 Growing up I heard my father’s stories about being a child Rail: How do you navigate representing this historical trauma in the present moment and the current state of US politics I was thinking about the experience of liminality the layers of memory and time and how they live within us like the layers within the ground or the changing light I made the photo works in a double image and color composition relating to how time and memory is recalled in several layers at once I wanted to show evidence of people of Mexican descent as Americans living in the United States at that moment in history I wanted to relate to the shifting light in the Westbeth Gallery Its transitory shadows and shapes project onto the works and onto the ground and at certain hours reach the back wall of the photos and their reflective surfaces I used translucent fabrics to create soft intersections in the space to think about a physical liminality and in-betweenness The fabric intersections are made of sewed strips of dyed linen that allow light to shine through and illuminate the colors of the fabrics The window design also intersects with the incoming light diamond shapes of the design are positioned in the middle of each window Its shapes are constantly shifting—where it’s intersecting how long the shadows are—depending on the time of day So I was seeing the interplay of the changing light with the works as other forms that explore the experience of liminality and memory Rail: Did you study the light before installing the work I’m wondering if the way the light fell and moved through the space then informed the installation the shadows looked completely different each time from what I remembered and what I photographed I knew that it would always have a transient quality The architecture of the outside of the building has a roundness and I could see round shadows everywhere in the space The shadows and the light change throughout the day Sometimes they reflect on the backs of the works Sometimes the light would go all the way to the back wall It was like everything was touching and being projected onto each other Rail: It is wonderful hearing you talk about this curiosity you had of how night becomes day I remember being so fascinated by that as a kid and feeling like I was cheating time; which brings me to the title of the exhibition and this body of work Alvarado: I was thinking about the light that comes into the space And I was thinking about the changing shapes that the light projects over the day as time-shapes and I was also thinking about other kinds of time-shapes that happen on a slower scale but over a generational cycle within the ground So I started to think about the opposite of shapes that come from the outside in to shapes that come from the inside out—time-shapes that come from within outward I was thinking about those kinds of inner transformations and the movement that happens from within The two largest paintings have a mirroring composition They also demarcate the space of the performance I’ve been working with a new process of sewing directly into the works All the patterning has a sewn lattice made of trims I’ve been sewing fabrics onto the edges of the works for years; however now I’m sewing throughout the surface of the work I enjoy unearthing antique or hand-sewn fabrics from thrift shops and I wanted to bring them further into the work So I sew directly into the composition of the pieces And I was thinking about time-shapes and how time leaves its impression on materiality as forms of change Once I started sewing the fabrics together and painting on top I also started to recall the notion of rasquache which also connects to the histories within the photos I wanted to elaborate more on concepts that have been around my life experience that I know are internalized and within my approach to painting which comes from the Spanish word for “leftover,” started as a negative term inside of the culture where people would demean each other based on their aesthetic choices how one assembles accumulated objects together in different contexts—outside of the home And it was a way to say that somebody had bad taste In 1989 Tomás Ybarra-Frausto wrote an essay about rasquache “Rasquachismo: A Chicano Sensibility.” He also grew up in San Antonio he said that he was inspired by a restaurant called Mi Tierra and its decoration and colors I have gone to Mi Tierra countless times as a child and an adult He wrote about it as a makeshift survivalist aesthetic of reusing things in different contexts creating new juxtapositions and hybrids through addition with an unrestrained approach to color and boldness It’s one of those interesting terms that started out as negative and then later became embraced and reclaimed I’m interested in that kind of transformation of different concepts that usually start as a way to point out a particularity within a people upon themselves that might be negative in meaning—used to impede creativity or motion or movement or the flow of energy that gets someone stuck in a certain self-negativity—and then at some point there’s a change how one thing can mirror into its complete opposite and change into something that creates movement and motion and imagination and growth and self-love and self-care I’ve been thinking about how to write about that process and I’ve been connecting it to the processes of metamorphic recrystallization that happen within the ground I’ve been calling it “Recrystallized Energetics,” when something that has a static and negative form then transforms into something that creates movement I gravitated towards this idea of rasquache as a way that people can renew their living space and create change in their territory and their environment and feel that it reflects more of their own history and vibe versus some kind of Home Depot or KB Home feeling it highlights how people exist across different value systems I know that your grandmother was a seamstress and I remember that any scrap of fabric left would never be thrown away And I realized I was now in a country where most people existed in an entirely different value system and that there was a hierarchy of whose value systems should be prioritized as being more valid or “successful.” Alvarado: There seems to be this overarching one system of values you’re supposed to have but it can be empowering to break out of that and feel out where you want to be and how you want to approach things Rail: Even in terms of textile now being considered a fine art and noticing certain art critics’ discomfort that the traditional value systems of the art world—which prioritizes painting and sculpture—are changing Much of that is wrapped into a backlash against identity politics exemplified by Dean Kissick’s controversial piece in Harper’s which basically implies that identity politics has made contemporary art boring But there’s always been lots of boring art I always saw that growing up and as a young artist some people would put others down if they were not coming from the same European canon or if in their work they were speaking too much about their family or their history or their identity And it always would strike me that they believed that what they were creating had nothing to do with their identity And when I would look at their work or read their writing it was obviously coming from certain histories and certain roots certain structures that are coming from this overarching American I think it’s hard for people to understand because that identity can seem seamless and invisible within everything Rail: Critiquing works for being overtly underpinned by personal identity is often just a way to shut down artists from marginalized communities who are trying to tell their story Alvarado: I think it’s hard to escape that There’s always going to be somewhat of a personal narrative within what someone makes I think trying to extract an artwork outside of life or outside of somebody’s roots—it’s just not the way everything works There’s so many multiplicities in what anyone makes Rail: What really resonates for me in your work is how abstraction offers this potential to capture experience in a way that representation sometimes limits—how it can embody more abstract memories It’s sometimes difficult to reconstruct them in a representational manner or are the colors you choose rooted in the historical patterns and compositions that you reference Maybe it’s the light and that energy that comes from color I used to try to not believe that was essential it’s not about color.” But then I started to give myself more permission when I was done with school to allow myself to explore my sense of color There is this thing that I have with color For me it does seem like it comes from an intensity of energy like the way some bugs fly into the light—it has this sort of light energy And at certain times I really embrace the bright colors using the pieces as environments or as backdrops in the performances as a way to be seen at a distance transform with a different light than what’s in the music venue and have that sort of visual or vibrational analog to the sound that’s going on in the performance and I think a lot about how sound and color interact I think it’s part of my language structure when I make things Rail: You’ve mentioned the pieces being a backdrop to the performances would you ever think of the performances as being backdrops for the pieces because of that experience—you’re listening and you’re looking—but I’ve always thought of them as creating a physical space so I guess that’s where the backdrop came from and I started saying they accompany the music I have used them on the floor in some performances especially outdoor performances where there was no way to hook them to anything and gathering and absorbing that experience and that history and those vibrations of that particular moment I like switching perspectives of what comes first One of the ways I started working on the back of them “Why should there be one front or one back?” So I started to add fabrics on the back I’ve let the stitching be seen on the backs and then I added some hooks at the top of the bar I also sewed little mirrors and bells on strips that I connected to the back Rail: I loved focusing on the pieces during the performance—the sound became the backdrop for me I really wanted to get up and walk around and touch the pieces And that makes me wonder what role tactility plays in the work Because obviously you’re engaging with the work physically and how some kind of physical texture can give you an idea of meaning I’ve always been fascinated with the vinyl album and how it has these grooves people figured out how to make these grooves so that we could put a sharp needle on there I think our digitized life might take us away from these tactile possibilities There’s probably so many other ways in which we can embed memory and experience into objects Somehow I understand how a digital audio file works better than the physical record To think our technology could have kept going textural Now we’re pushed to a kind of anti-textural I feel like people are starting to buy analog cameras again I see more of my students keeping notebooks and their excitement about physical engagement just being in the classroom instead of being on Zoom It’s definitely something that’s encroaching more on our sense of time and relationship to the physical world When I started making these pieces that were so large in my studio and took a lot of time I liked the idea that I could get away from my computer I liked getting into that connection between when you’re thinking and you’re remembering and you’re doing—working on something with your hands at the same time—and how you can form different relationships between your memory your whole sense of time through tactility I also wanted the pieces to be used in real life gatherings I was so happy with the idea that you have to be around them to activate them You need to really experience what they are That kind of scale doesn’t translate without having a physical experience in the space I think people are noticing that more and more: how our ownership of our sense of time how we relate to one another—it doesn’t need to happen so much on the little screens of our phones Rail: I can’t wait to spend more time with the work I hope you’re going to get some rest after this big project Alvarado: I’m doing a residency at the Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia I have an upcoming solo exhibition that opens this October at the Joslyn Museum in Omaha And Natural Information Society is going to play at the Museum of Contemporary Art here in Chicago with some Stan Brakhage films different approaches to playing with the films and with paint that’s moving I’m going to be back in the show on the last day and kids can run wild and dance and anyone can come So I’m really looking forward to being back and experiencing the show again and connecting with everyone at The Kitchen They were so brilliant and welcoming to work with There’s something about The Kitchen that’s the perfect space for my work being a place that has such an art and musical history with a deep awareness of how to treat both the sonic and visual and a desire to bring both of those experiences together Ksenia M. Soboleva is a New York based writer and art historian specializing in queer art and culture. She holds a PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU. Home