playSovereignty wins 151st Kentucky Derby (0:54)Check out the stats behind Sovereignty's victory at the 151st Kentucky Derby -- Sovereignty gave trainer Bill Mott a second Kentucky Derby victory This time there was no doubt about it and no asterisk Sovereignty 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 Sovereignty's victory in the Kentucky Derby capped a huge weekend for Godolphin Stables which also won the Kentucky Oaks with Good Cheer and the 2,000 Guineas in Britain with Ruling Court. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images"This one got there the right way," the Hall of Fame trainer said 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 It was quite a weekend for the sheikh. His filly, Good Cheer, won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday 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 won by 1½ lengths and splashed through the 1¼ miles in 2:02.31 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 but rallied to stay in the fight and 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 of Sovereignty 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 the jockey was injured "It's more than a dream come true," Alvarado said who got into the race on Thursday after Rodriguez was scratched the lone entry for six-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert Baffert was back on the first Saturday in May having served 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 The Associated Press contributed to this report 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 The 151st Run for the Roses had an average of 17.7 million viewers between NBC's television broadcast and Peacock's streaming coverage, per a news release from the network That average viewership set a record for NBC Sports' coverage of the Derby; the network's first broadcast of the iconic event was 2001. The last time the Run for the Roses' TV ratings were higher than this year was 1989, when 18.5 million viewers tuned into ABC for Sunday Silence's victory The ratings for the 2025 Derby marked a 6% increase over last year's race, when 16.7 million watched Mystik Dan's win Viewership peaked at 21.8 million viewers from 7 to 7:15 p.m That set another mark for NBC Sports as its best peak audience on record for the Derby rising 8% from last year's 20.1 million viewers On the streaming side, Peacock's coverage was NBC Sports' best ever for a horse racing event, with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 959,000 viewers. That number has steadily risen, from 714,000 viewers last year and up from 371,000 in 2023, when Mage triumphed Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack The 58-year-old sportscaster appeared at Churchill Downs to help cover the horse race but had to abruptly leave early 2025 8:39 AM EDTUnited States Olympic star gymnast Simone Biles received the unique opportunity of announcing the "Riders Up" call at the Kentucky Derby over the weekend The seven-time Olympic gold medalist delivered a flawless performance - per usual - but there was an unintended consequence of her appearance at the race. While attending the event with husband Jonathan Owens Biles admitted the two planned to start a family “We are obviously gonna put them in sports in the beginning so they get their bearings and learn,” Simone told E! News. “But other than that we don't really care what they do as long as they find their passion...I've always wanted to be a mother so it's just really exciting.” Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles attend Kentucky Derby 151 at Churchill Downs on May 03 Jeff Schear/Getty Images Fans mistook her public comments as a pregnancy announcement and flocked to social media to suggest Biles and Owens were expecting their first child The rumors eventually made their way to the decorated gymnast who squashed them with a strong statement on Threads "I am not pregnant, I never was pregnant therefore I never had a baby. Please stop asking me and falling for AI," she said plainly Biles made it clear the couple plans to have kids but they also have goals in their professional lives “Me and Jonathan always talk about kids,” she said during an appearance on Today “He would have had them yesterday if he could have we both have goals that we want to achieve before we start a family that’s definitely in our future.” 2025 10:41 PM EDTOlivia “Livvy” Dunne didn’t just show up to her first Kentucky Derby — she made it a fashion moment One day after rocking an all-pink ensemble for the Kentucky Oaks the former LSU gymnast switched up her look with a vintage-inspired polka dot dress ahead of the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs paired the black-and-white outfit with an oversized hat fit for any race-day red carpet Dunne posted behind-the-scenes photos of her Derby look to Instagram and documented her day at the track "Suddenly I’m a Kentucky Derby fan." Another got into the spirit of the evening "You won the derby," another viewer proclaimed It was a full-circle weekend for the social media star who just capped her collegiate gymnastics career in April when LSU placed third in the NCAA semifinals she served as the official “Riders up!” announcer for the Kentucky Oaks — a first for the athlete “Your girl’s first derby :)” With a look this polished — and timing this smart — it’s clear Dunne is already thinking several steps ahead of the competition. By Rachel Dillin is a trending news writer for Men's Journal She's a lifelong journalist who covers entertainment and celebrity news and her choice of outfit is generating plenty of buzz on Derby day Dunne rose to prominence as a collegiate gymnast at LSU, where the 2024 national champion became one of the biggest stars at the forefront of the NIL frontier in NCAA athletics. She has also gained attention through her relationship with MLB pitcher and former Tiger Paul Skenes Dunne's NIL valuation reached $4.1 million in her final season at LSU leading to countless commercial opportunities One of those was her role in this weekend's 151st Kentucky Derby where she made sure she looked like a million bucks.  LSU Tigers gymnast Olivia Dunne looks on during the 2025 Women's National Gymnastics Semifinal at Dickies Arena On Friday, she had the honor of making the "riders up" call at the Kentucky Oaks — the same role fellow gymnast Simone Biles will take on for the Derby on Saturday Dunne chose an all-pink wardrobe for her big moment on Friday but she went a different direction with her Kentucky Derby outfit ahead of Saturday's race The 22-year-old wore a white dress with black polka dots and thin black straps showing off her tan lines on the rainy day at Churchill Downs Her appropriately extravagant hat matched the simple white-and-black color scheme while she completed the look with a white Chanel purse She shared the outfit first with her 8 million followers on TikTok "Love this dress liv," said a comment "Oh this dress fye," praised one follower "Love the fit," said one commenter "It’s giving pretty woman." Live coverage of the race can be found on NBC, with an expected start time just before 7 p.m. ET. Journalism is the 3-1 favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds Larry welcomed his daughter with the late model and actress Anna Nicole Smith in 2006 Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead shared how Hugh Jackman inspired her acting dreams in an exclusive interview with E Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter Dannielynn Birkhead is carrying on her legacy During an appearance at the 2025 Kentucky Derby in Louisville the 18-year-old—whose father is the late model’s ex Larry Birkhead—shared her plans to follow in her mother’s footsteps “I'm definitely looking forward to modeling and acting,” she exclusively told E “I've just gotten inspired by a lot of my favorite actors and actresses.” In fact, the 18-year-old singled out Hugh Jackman as a particular source of inspiration noting that she got to meet him after a recent performance of his Broadway play From New York With Love so that kind of translated to real life,” she said of her fascination with the two-time Tony winner “He's been my favorite actor for 10 years I don't know how I survived [meeting him].” But while Dannielynn plots her foray into the spotlight she’s not giving up on her academic pursuits “I have a college that I'm going to apply to,” she noted I would like to do modeling and acting on the side.” Following Anna Nicole’s tragic death in February 2007 and a high-profile legal battle over Dannielynn’s paternity Larry opted to raise his daughter out of the public eye he’s made a point to give her guidance as she embarks on her own career path “When she says she wants to do these things I'm going to be supportive of it,” he told E! “but I give her some cautionary tales of things that I encountered and so I think we put that altogether and give her the support In the meantime, Larry and Dannielynn are keeping Anna Nicole’s memory alive. One day earlier, the pair attended the Barnstable Brown Gala, where Dannielynn wore the same backless black dress that previously belonged to her late mom “Life full circle,” Larry wrote in a post on Instagram May 2 “She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom’s and ‘super cool.’” Keep scrolling for a look at Larry and Dannielynn’s previous appearances at the Kentucky Derby Who needs a fascinator when you're this fabulous Anna Nicole's mini-me's fascinator is in full bloom The daddy-daughter duo take inspiration from Mary Poppins Larry leads the way as Dannielynn smiles for the cameras Dannielynn and Larry pick coordinating colors for their festive frocks Dannielynn is already a red carpet veteran Everything's coming up roses for the twosome The tween is all smiles in a yellow floral dress as she poses with her dad Dannielynn and Larry attend the 2019 Kentucky Derby Dannielynn looks pretty in pink in her dress by Junona and her Mom's hat from her unforgettable appearance at The Kentucky Derby in 2004 #KentuckyDerby2019." Dannielynn and dad Larryreturned to celebrate the Kentucky Derby with these corresponding looks a day before the annual event Larry and Dannielynn appear at the 2022 Barnstable-Brown Gala Dannielynn is wearing the outfit that Janet Jackson wore to the 2003 Barnstable-Brown Gala Larry said it was purchased in a Julien's Auction sports a colorful look as she poses with dad Larry Birkhead at the 2022 Kentucky Derby The 16-year-old steps out in style with her dad Larry Birkhead after paying tribute to her late mom with a fashion statement at the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala in May 2023 The 17-year-old sports a Gianfranco Ferre dress once owned by Janet Jackson and purchased at Julien's Auctions while attending the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala in May 2024 The 17-year-old appears with her dad Larry Birkhead en route to the 2024 Kentucky Derby While joining her dad Larry Birkhead at the Barnstable Brown gala during 2025 Kentucky Derby weekend the 18-year-old wore the same outfit her late mom wore to the same annual party in 2004 The two coordinated in aqua at the main event who will undergo surgery on his hand next week played four songs at the Unbridled Eve Derby Gala on May 2 For the last four months, the NFL world has been trying to figure out whether Aaron Rodgers will play football again After his appearance at the 2025 Kentucky Derby there's a new question for everyone to try to figure out That includes the ring that he was wearing over the weekend where wedding bands for men are traditionally worn as did the folks on "The Pat McAfee Show." "Looked happy," Pat McAfee said May 5 of Rodgers "It looked like he had a ring on his ring finger 'Who says it has to be one way to the other?' "Maybe somebody got engaged to him and said will you take this ring and be with me forever?' and Aaron said here's what we do know about Rodgers and his relationship Aaron Rodgers wedding ringRodgers was sporting a ring on his left ring finger when he made his appearance on red carpets at the Kentucky Derby The ring was relatively simple in nature but it's not clear if it was an actual wedding band generated a lot of buzz on social media with many entertainment sites wondering if he got married Did Aaron Rodgers get married?It's unknown if Rodgers is married and even his closest friends don't know despite being around him all weekend and seeing the ring a former Packers linebacker and good friend of Rodgers said from what he knew the weekend in Louisville "was not a wedding party." "But all of us were a bit surprised," Hawk said when he saw the ring I don’t know if I have any answers for you when it comes to that situation "He’s very private and mysterious when it comes to things like that and this is definitely one of those Hawk said his longtime friend seems "very happy." But Hawk couldn't provide the answer that everyone wants to know "Not a lot of clarity on this situation," Hawk said could just be teasing everyone with the placement of this ring while keeping his closest friends in the dark And it could just be a distraction to get the internet talking about something other than his football future. Rodgers is good at that Who could be the lucky lady if Aaron Rodgers is indeed married The last we heard is that Rodgers has a girlfriend named Brittani The former Green Bay Packers quarterback hasn't said much about Brittani but he has discussed her briefly a couple times on "The Pat McAfee Show." He revealed the relationship bombshell back in December while appearing on McAfee's show Rodgers was talking about buying Christmas presents and name-dropped her "I was a little worried 'cause there was one package left for my girlfriend Brittani that hadn’t shown up yet," Rodgers said he had never brought up that he had a new girlfriend Rodgers and Brittani haven't been seen in public and the four-time NFL MVP noted that she doesn't have social media But he added that having a girlfriend is "a good feeling." And while discussing his uncertain football future on McAfee's show last month the 41-year-old Rodgers noted he's "in a serious relationship." Rodgers is a Kentucky Derby regular and he never comes alone He's been bringing a group that includes former Packers stars and his good friends for years This year's squad included David Bakhtiari While Rodgers' marital status remains a mystery But the Giants and Vikings are going in other directions leaving the Steelers as the only team left for Rodgers Rodgers said during his most recent appearance on McAfee's show April 17 that "the lines of communication are open" with the Steelers and "the people that need to know know what's going on." The Steelers parted ways with their top two QBs from last season which appeared to clear the way for a Rodgers signing if the future Hall of Famer wanted to play another year Steelers president Art Rooney II offered an incremental update on his team's pursuit of the future Hall of Fame quarterback on Tuesday at the Annual League Meeting inching closer to the free agent Rodgers potentially joining the team Steelers owner and team president Art Rooney II said in early April via ESPN's Brooke Pryor that Rodgers is heading in "our direction." Rodgers said he told teams up front during free agent discussions that because people in his inner circle are "battling difficult stuff" his focus is on that and he's not ready to make a commitment to a football team were among the best dressed throughout the weekend Biles even had the honor of giving the "Riders Up" call before the start of the race on May 3 Influencer Alix Earle, who has a family tie to Wisconsin stunned in her all black dress and black top hat Meet Sovereighty: Here's what to know about the horse's pedigree Here are photos from two of the biggest pre-Derby events on May 2 that Aaron Rodgers and other celebrities attended: Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker This story has been updated with the correct order of finish The race was completed in 2 minutes and 2.31 seconds on a fairly wet track Journalism entered the race as the favorite Alvarado was set back by an injury in the weeks leading up to the derby that included a trip to the hospital. He also fell off his horse but was not injured during the Thurby race earlier in the week "I can't even describe it," Alvarado said in a post-race interview in the moments after the derby "I'm pretty sure (my family is) way over the moon right now." The Derby and beyond: Sign up for USA TODAY's Sports newsletter for more competition news KENTUCKY DERBY UPDATES: The latest from Churchill Downs The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more former LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne made headlines - in all the wrong ways - when she struggled with her "Riders Up" call ahead of the Kentucky Oaks which ran the day before the Kentucky Derby Fans flocked to social media to call Dunne out for her performance - which lasted all of 12 seconds. "Terrible. She doesn’t know horses or the event. Just stupid publicity," one person said "Why she looking down so much can she not remember 2 sentences?" questioned another After Dunne posted a new video on TikTok showing off her dress from the event "You introducing the race was a tough watch." She didn't hide from the issue "I couldn’t hear myself because of the echo of the microphone 😭." “Time flies when you're having fun,” Dunne who helped the team to a national title in 2024 “That's exactly how the past 20 years in this sport have felt you have filled my heart and will always be a part of me You’ve shaped me into the person I am today creating memories and sisterhoods that will last a lifetime beyond the sport club coaches and the LSU staff for their contributions to her career and development time did fly by,” she said in the closing moments of the video “And I will cherish every memory for the rest of my life and trend cycles will dictate their size and stature it’s safe to say the Kentucky Derby 2025 is where we saw the hat in full sartorial excellence The annual Churchill Downs horse race is now in its 151st year, with almost 150,000 attendees heading out to watch their favorite jockeys, the thoroughbreds, and underdog colts attempt to win at one of the most prestigious horse races in the world. But with that, it’s also a pageant for some of the world’s best hats and fascinators to both Derby attendees and Royal Ascot-goers across the pond in Britain her millinery goes through about 700 yards of silk Some of her most opulent creations can take around 40 hours to make with prices topping $5,000—the average price hovers around $1,100—but her signature designs are passed through generations of Derby queens I knew it needed its moment for Derby weekend,” says Connor Perry the rose pattern—it was too good to be true!” Her custom hats were made by Melissa Huff with Mad Hatter 502 and Mamili Boutique in Louisville “I showed her the dress and shared a bit of inspiration from her past work—she ran with it!” Perry says “The way she weaves together textures and color palettes is truly brilliant and I don’t think a more perfect fascinator exists for the occasion.” What did guests of the day pair with their jaunty chapeau and rose-studded bonnets The peplum dress made a huge comeback while boho cork wedges (wet grass-appropriate) were also seen traversing the fields The heavy rain didn’t dampen spirits or sartorial splendidness having a runner in America's most famous horse race was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity while others have been down this road before Here's what the connections of some of the other Kentucky Derby runners had to say on Sunday morning following Sovereignty's victory in the 151st Kentucky Derby JOURNALISM (Second) – “We’ve got no complaints.”Trainer Michael McCarthy was reflecting on his Kentucky Derby experience Sunday morning at Barn 35 at Churchill Downs in Louisville following his colt Journalism’s gallant effort in which he finished second behind Sovereignty in the 151st edition of the Run for the Roses.His Curlin colt had a tough beginning in the mile and a quarter because of traffic and wasn’t able to obtain the close-up stalking position his connections had hoped for until well along on the backside then turned in a stout run around the turn and into the lane “With a field this size in a race like this it’s all about the trip,” McCarthy said “It didn’t quite work out the way we hoped but he ran a good race against a good horse.”The main thing was that his horse was “in good order this morning and everything going forward is now in play.”That would indicate the possibility that his charge’s next start could be in two weeks in Baltimore in the Preakness Stakes and a possible second go-round with the Derby winner BAEZA (Third) – The Kentucky Derby third-place finisher was doing fine back at Barn 41 Sunday morning following his stellar effort in the mile and a quarter classic Saturday.After almost not getting to compete in the race after being hung out on the Derby also-eligible list right up until Thursday evening the good-looking son of the young stallion McKinzie took rider Flavien Prat for an adventuresome trip on a sloppy strip in which he closed through the lane with every stride.“Quite a trip for him this whole week,” trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday morning “He’s never been on a wet surface before Then that big field and the bumping that went on But in the end he ran well and we’re proud of him.” The conditioner said the Preakness was not a consideration for the bay youngster.“Too much for a West Coast horse to work with,” he said then look at the Belmont.” The third leg of the Triple Crown will be run this year on June 7 at Saratoga in upstate New York as Belmont Park continues to undergo its massive renovation It also will be run at a mile and a quarter instead of the classic distance of a mile and one-half.As for Shirreffs personal westward journey that was to happen Sunday morning at 10 o’clock on the private jet of his owner Lee Searing.“Only way to fly,” smiled the trainer FINAL GAMBIT (Fourth) – Juddmonte’s Final Gambit was back at trainer Brad Cox’s Barn 22 Sunday morning resting after his fourth-place finish in Kentucky Derby 151.“We’re really proud of his effort – especially this being his first start on dirt,” Cox said “Maybe if the pace was a little bit faster it could’ve benefited him even more We’ll see how it goes from here.”Final Gambit earned a 99 Brisnet Speed Rating OWEN ALMIGHTY (Fifth) – Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty who led the field into the stretch “seems to have come out of the race in good order,” trainer Brian Lynch said.“We will let the dust settle and talk with the team but possibly the ($500,000) Woody Stephens (GI) (on June 7 at Saratoga) next.” BURNHAM SQUARE (Sixth) – Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square came out of his troubled sixth-place finish in the Derby in good order.“I jogged him and he looks good,” trainer Ian Wilkes said.Burnham Square was put in tight quarters at the half-mile pole when Admire Daytona from Japan came in on him.“In a 20-horse field somebody is going to have trouble and I guess it was my turn,” Wilkes said He got stopped at the half-mile pole when everybody else was making their move and then he got going again to get sixth I think he would have been in the top three.”Plans going forward for Burnham Square are to be determined West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman was doing well Sunday morning following his Kentucky Derby run.“He is good this morning,” said Allen Hardy “He ate up last night and jogged early this morning (at the barn).”Casse indicated that the Belmont Stakes (GI) likely would be next for Sandman I’ve been in lots of places all over the world and this is second to none.”East Avenue was given an 89 Brisnet Speed Rating an eight-point regression from his Blue Grass Stakes (GI) runner-up effort four weeks ago CHUNK OF GOLD (Ninth) – Terry Stephens’ Chunk of Gold exited his Kentucky Derby run in good order according to trainer Ethan West.“The horse is OK,” West said of Chunk of Gold who will leave Churchill Downs around 10 a.m “I think the mile and a quarter probably got to him He will get a couple weeks off and there are plenty of 3-year-old races across the summer for him.” TIZTASTIC (10th)/PUBLISHER (14th) – While things didn’t go as planned for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby the veteran horseman still had reason to celebrate – he earned his record-extending 14th leading trainer title at Oaklawn The Asmussen family was represented Saturday at both tracks with sons Erik and Keith accepting the trophy at Oaklawn COAL BATTLE (11th) – Norman Stables’ Coal Battle was doing well Sunday morning according to assistant and exercise rider Bethany Taylor “he’s probably a little mad and grouchy this morning because he’s not used to being that far back.”Trainer Lonnie Briley said he’s going to let the horse tell us where to take him next He wants to watch and see how much the race took out of him He thinks the track condition didn’t play a factor into how he ran but the rough trip LUXOR CAFÉ (12th)/ ADMIRE DAYTONA (JPN) (19th) – From Kate Hunter Japan Kentucky Derby liaison: “Both Japanese horses came back from the race in good condition Junko Kondo’s Admire Daytona was not a fan of the slop Traffic ultimately thwarted Koichi Nishikawa’s Luxor Café who was unable to get a good spot early Both could come back for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on Nov 1 at Del Mar – no rain in Southern California.” but a bruised foot kept him in the barn Saturday Sunday morning the trainer stated that his only Preakness runner would be Rodriguez meaning that Citizen Bull shortly would likely be on a plane back to California along with the dozen other runners the conditioner shipped east to compete during the week AMERICAN PROMISE (16th) – BC Stables’ American Promise came out of his Derby effort in good order according to Bas Nicholl Wayne Lukas.“Magnificent,” Nicholl reported of American Promise who was part of the pace before beginning to retreat entering the far turn FLYING MOHAWK (18th) – It was a disappointing Saturday evening for the connections of Flying Mohawk who finished 18th in Kentucky Derby 151 after he experienced trouble in the first quarter-mile of the race.“The sun still rose at Churchill and ‘Mohawk’ is still the man,” co-owner Jeff Berry said “Thanks to Flying Mohawk and the entire team for an incredible life experience for the Berry family.” and the debates surrounding trainer Bob Baffert 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." Become an NPR sponsor LOUISVILLE – Here then is what thoroughbred horse racing does best what it does in such a way that it is possible – if only for a few minutes or the two weeks that separate one Kentucky Derby from one Preakness – to look away briefly from the many problems that ever more frequently imperil the sport’s relevance Here then is what it does: It shrinks time and spits it out beneath two spires It takes him from a pickup truck in Fort Pierce where he remembered listening to the AM radio call of Proud Clarion’s win in the 1967 Derby to the winner’s circle of the most important horse race in the United States who as a teenager knew only one American race injured when his mount suffered a fatal heart attack 41 days later to a stretch-running victory in that very same race a regal bay 3-year-old colt named Sovereignty at 7-1 the bettors’ third choice in the field of 19 horses ran determinedly past favored Journalism in the gloaming of a cold grinding forward beneath giant light towers that illuminated a persistent mist and dwarfed those ancient and beloved twin Churchill spires only to be elevated to first after that long wait when the latter was disqualified because Maximum Security had appeared to be the best horse by a wide margin This time Mott wore the same windbreaker and similar black boots “We’ll take them any way we can get them,” Mott said Mott has trained excellent and successful horses around the world from two-time (1995-'96) Horse of the Year Cigar and winner of emotional Breeders’ Cup sprints in 2022 and ’23 Yet Mott most prides himself on showing up and punching a virtual clock striving from South Dakota to Kentucky and working from the same barn at Churchill Downs since 1980 “To be sitting here,” he said from the Derby winner’s press conference rostrum it’s like going to outer space.” He clomped out the mud after talking with NBC’s Kenny Rice and ascended three steps to the Churchill infield and then walked toward the portico where the trophy would be presented intercepted Mott and snatched him up in an emotional hug “Words can’t describe what it feels like,” said Riley “Seeing what he does every day of his life I’m so proud of him.” (More time shrinkage from a personal perspective: I first met Riley when he was helping his father and also attending prep school at the Salisbury School in Connecticut We talked about it Saturday on the Churchill infield He was wearing a Salisbury tie and pointed to it proudly roughly double the age of the kid I had first met yet lending perspective at the same time.) one of the tragic wildfires that struck Southern California in early January Journalism left the starting gate as the 3-1 favorite but he had never run on a wet track and just once in a field of more than five horses “I’m more worried about a bad trip than a bad track,” McCarthy told me two days before the race Arkansas Derby winner Sandman was the second choice at post Odds can often be comically irrelevant in the Derby; not so on Saturday The Derby is always a race that mixes jockeys’ guile and None of its horses have run in such a large field or at the distance of 1 1/4 miles who would contest the race nearly to the wire each got a little trouble and excellent rides from different regions of the giant starting gate but jockey Umberto Rispoli got him near the rail into the first turn and around into the backstretch but Rispoli worked his way into open mud and rolled into the final turn ominously “I wanted to turn for home with just a couple of horses in front of me and that’s what happened.” Sovereignty’s jockey is admired by the trainer for his willingness to work in developing a horse resisting the urge to push a horse past his readiness in an attempt to win because Sovereignty is a kicker who does his best running late in the race But he stumbled out of the gate; the official chart said he clipped a rival’s heels and bobbled slightly.” “I clipped heels a little bit right there,” said Alvarado I hope he didn’t lose a shoe on this track.” He did not Alvarado skillfully slid him to the inside rail before the first turn Mott noted: “You don’t win Grade I’s (the biggest races) going four or five (paths) wide around both turns.” For Alvarado his mount alone was a gift when Term suffered a fatal cardiac event and fell His injury was a hairline fracture of his right shoulder He missed three weeks of riding and was not on Sovereignty (replaced by Manny Franco) for his second-place finish in the March 29 Florida Derby “I was completely heartbroken,” said Alvarado I don’t know if I’m ever going to get another horse like this.” as Sovereignty and Journalism navigated the racetrack under 23 seconds for the first straight quarter and 46.23 around the turn into the backstretch But: “I saw the blue silks coming,” said McCarthy in the colors of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin Racing is respected and praised in the horse racing world a British court “established as fact” that Sheikh Mohammad had abducted two of his daughters and threatened his wife Mott and British Godolphin representative Michael Banahan effusively praised Godolphin for their support of racing and he didn’t disappoint me.” They ran nearly together for 17 jumps but any experienced race-watcher could see that Sovereignty had more steam Sovereignty put a head in front inside the eighth pole and eased away to win by 1 1/2 lengths “The winner ran a better race,” said Journalism’s McCarthy the rain had ceased falling over the Downs Back then I wrote for Sports Illustrated that nightfall was like ".. a curtain falling on a theater of the surreal.” This was a curtain call An interruption in racing survival drama for only joy A Division of NBCUniversal DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only and there is no gambling offered on this site This service is intended for adult audiences No guarantees are made for any specific outcome If you or someone you know has a gambling problem 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) Sign up for BloodHorse Daily 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 that’s me wearing my personalized Hoopaholic ballcap Gonzo Kentucky Derby is decadent and depraved t-shirt As for the quote on the back above the signature of Randall Ave’s Favorite Tormentor the weekend became a vicious drunken nightmare,” those days are long past* meeting-my-contractual-obligation obligation I remembered another doozy tale from yesteryore Adding to the legitimacy of my header: While running errands drizzly Derby morn Plus upon returning from a post-race pizza run (Wheated worthy of being mentioned in same sentence as Pizza Lupo.) my hosts graciously agreed to turn off the local post-Downs telecasting It ended up being my favorite Derby Day in decades I am infamously indisposed these days to go to the track was going to pass going to the track after two arduous days there (For the first time since coincidentally around the last time I missed JazzFest He was going to be hangin’ at our pal Allen’s abode Who was also taking a Pasadena on the Downs So I went over there to savor the day with them and Mr who could make some spare change hiring himself out as a James Taylor look alike and one of their guys bet the $3 Large on a plethora of exotics They others finally raised their heads when the TV guys announced the Walkover Then the quartet who’d been at the track returned I was gathered with my Derby gang of long ago It was another level entirely for these guys B and NO jumped out of their seats as Sovereignty made his charge down the stretch Winning trainer Bill Mott was asked how long has he been dreaming of winning the Run for the Roses Since I sat in a GMC pickup truck in Fort Pierce and listened to an AM radio call of Proud Clarion winning the Derby in 1967 Announcer Jack Drees was shredded for blowing the call He didn’t see the winner’s run until right at the wire decadent and depraved tale from yesteryore when I was a prosecutor on the County Attorney staff A friend tracked me down at a Derby soiree in the Triangle an hour or so before midnight after the race and would I go down to the Hall of Justice where they were holding all day Arraignment Court to see if we could help him that same fellow had asked some legal advice earlier in the week He had some outstanding bad check warrants given how law enforcement had a lot more on their minds Turns out my friend’s brother ran into the fellow he’d jilted at TGI Friday’s Not letting on that he’d called the police Who showed up after awhile and took the accused into custody I felt a bit of responsibility to see if there was anyway I could help After a long day of drunks and whoever being processed rag tag assembled in the Peanut Gallery were more sullen Immediately upon my walking into the courtroom Judge Ken Corey stopped admonishing some t-shirted scofflaw for relieving himself on an infield bush Are you here in your professional capacity Anna Nicole Smith's daughter walked the red carpet with her dad The pair have attended the Kentucky Derby regularly since 2010 The influencer looked chic in an all-black outfit The father-daughter duo attended the 2025 Barnstable Brown Gala the night before the Kentucky Derby Dannielynn wore the same dress her late mother Anna Nicole Smith sported at the same party in 2004 17.7 million people watched the annual race on Saturday, according to a Sunday afternoon press release from NBC The number marks the largest television audience for the event since Sunday Silence's victory in 1989 It was additionally the largest Derby audience on NBC multi-platform viewership peaked at 21.8 million viewers from 7 to 7:15 ET jockeyed by Junior Alvarado and trained by Bill Mott won the race by a length and a half over Journalism in sloppy conditions NBC has been the television home of the Kentucky Derby since 2001 when it took the rights from ABC—which had held them since 1975 The network will also air the Preakness Stakes from Baltimore and Belmont Stakes from Elmont 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 crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER .css-1xiyrl{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;aspect-ratio:unset;}According to NBC Sports, its 25th broadcast of the event marked the most-watched Derby in 36 years, trailing only 1989’s edition when Sunday Silence drew 18.5 million viewers. This year’s numbers also reflect a six percent increase from last year’s 16.7 million. with millions watching Sovereignty pull away from betting favorite Journalism by 1.5 lengths It marked the highest peak audience NBC Sports has ever recorded for a Kentucky Derby broadcast The 2025 Kentucky Derby became NBC's most-watched Saturday event since the NFL Wild Card Playoffs in 2024 Sovereignty finished the Kentucky Derby in sloppy conditions on Saturday at Churchill Downs with a time of 2:02:31 ridden by jockey Junior Alvarado and trained by Bill Motts The bay colt is set to draw high viewership once again for NBC in two weeks on May 17 as he chases the Triple Crown at the 150th Preakness Stakes The Kentucky Derby and all the associated events for one of the biggest horse races of the year went down at Churchill Downs in Louisville It was the 151st time people gathered there and wore giant hats to watch horses running around a track As far as the action on a rain-soaked mess of a track went, Sovereignty beat the favorite Journalism to take home the title of Kentucky Derby winner there was controversy brewing on social media over a TikTok star's attire TikTok influencer Gabriela Moura at the center of a revealing Kentucky Derby dress controversy (Photo by Mat Hayward/Variety via Getty Images) Influencer Gabriela Moura was hit with claims of wearing "inappropriate" and "revealing" attire to the prestigious events at the track over the weekend SIGN UP for The Daily OutKick. New Look, Same Attitude. Moura shared a video of herself getting ready with the caption "i'm so excitedddddd" and was met with a ton of dress code police standing up for the integrity of the Kentucky Derby.  They went after her for her cleavage revealing dress Here's the video that started the Kentucky Derby attire controversy The self-appointed experts on what is acceptable and unacceptable to wear at the Kentucky Derby had this to say about Moura's slightly revealing outfit Gabriela Moura caught wind of the criticism from her day one clothing choice and decided to defend herself There's a perfectly good reason for the dress she wore and it wasn’t to get a ton of unwanted attention her big boobs are showing up at the event along with her but you're essentially boob shaming and nobody in their right mind is going to stand for that "I'm getting ready for Kentucky Derby day two, and I saw a couple comments on my last video," Moura started off her defense with. "I don't know if you're going to misunderstand what I'm saying in this video, but big boob girls are going to understand what I'm saying." I don’t know about you, but so far I'm following along perfectly fine. I heard "big boob girls" and there's something about that that gets your attention. Anyway, let's get back to the defense of her Kentucky Derby dress. "Girls with big boobs, there's no way to hide it, like honestly," she continued. And more importantly, why would anyone want you to hide them? Sorry for interrupting again. "There's so many dresses that I love that if I put people are going to be like ‘Wow, she’s vulgar'… But I just can’t do anything about the boobs and I don't want people to understand this video wrong and say ‘Why is she complaining?’ I'm not." Moura pointed out that sometimes people think she wears certain items for attention, but that isn't true. She just happens to like the piece of clothing. Not everyone wears low-cut tops for attention. She knew that her day two dress was going to get negative attention like her day one dress did, but she didn’t have any options. The influencer with more than 11 million TikTok followers said, "There's nothing I can do. I'm not doing a surgery." Nice try. Gabriela Moura isn’t changing anything. She's going to wear what she likes and defend her big boobs whenever the critics come knocking. That's certainly a cause worth fighting for. Written by Sean is a cubicle life escapee and proud member of OutKick's Culture Department and puppies - only one of those things is true You are agreeing to OutKick's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting. Gambling related content is not intended for anyone under the age of 21. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER in a thrilling fight to the finish line on Saturday to capture the first leg of US thoroughbred racing’s famed Triple Crown The bay colt thrived in the wet and sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs to finish the one-and-a-quarter-mile race in two minutes and 2.31 seconds beating the heavy favorite Journalism down the final stretch Journalism finished about a length behind while Baeza was third The race marked famed trainer Bob Baffert’s first trip to the derby after a three-year ban from the track Churchill Downs had suspended him after his horse failed a drugs test after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby took the early lead from the pole position hanging on through much of the race as a dense chase pack followed Sovereignty and Journalism made their move at the same time navigating around the outside on the final turn before battling nose-to-nose through the final 16th of a mile before Sovereignty pulled away in the final moments who drew in after another Baffert-trained horse sneaked into third as jockey Flavien Prat made a gutsy last-minute move not Hector Barrios as an earlier version said his remaining entrant still has a shot to win Handicapping the Derby is unlike handicapping pretty much any other race None of the horses has run the 10-furlong distance None of them has experienced the frenzy that is the Derby crowd Pace scenarios can dissolve as soon as the gates open you need more luck than skill to earn the blanket of roses we’ll focus on running styles and performances in top-level races in the hope of getting horses home at good prices In post-position order, here’s your look at the field for the 151st Kentucky Derby. Odds referenced are morning line odds from when the field was set April 26. For the most recent odds on the field, visit our updating odds page the weather for Saturday in Louisville looked perfect It briefly poured at Churchill Downs Friday and rained steadily Saturday through the early races The radar for post time appears like it will be clear remain wet when the Run for the Roses begins The Churchill crew takes measures to prevent the track from absorbing too much water (a practice called “sealing”); that much rain is absolutely going to affect the racing surface which will also potentially impact how the horses run While trainers are generally unlikely to scratch horses because of a wet track the race may well play out quite differently from the scenario on a dry track Here’s what you need to know if the track remains messy when the Derby begins: One of the standouts in this year’s crop of 3-year-olds before heading into the Santa Anita Derby earlier this month But a puzzling fourth-place finish at Santa Anita certainly raises questions as the inveterate frontrunner was in his customary place in the lead when he yielded down the stretch the top two finishers in that race are very good horses — and both are entered here with winner Journalism the favorite and Baeza joining the field as an alternate — but proceed with caution If Citizen Bull doesn’t get to the lead right away a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby is the lowest of any other entrant’s most recent performance He’s another that needs the lead to be competitive he doesn’t have enough speed to compete with the other horses Flavien Prat was originally supposed to ride Neoequos but switched to Baeza once he drew into the race Juddmonte’s racing and breeding operations are among the best on the planet one wonders just what this horse is doing in this race his four races having been contested on turf and synthetic surfaces and his lone start outside of the maiden ranks came in March Scratched Thursday by Baffert, Rodriguez won’t run in the Derby Baeza enters the field and the other qualifiers will move one slot closer to the rail As his win in the Preakness with Seize the Grey last year demonstrated A lot will have to go right for this horse and wrong with a lot of other runners but the speed figure in his last start impressed he’s never even hit the board in a graded stakes race he’s been beaten several times by other runners here and he’s another that’s going to want to get to the front You want to root for a story and for Lukas to get his fifth Derby win racing entities have aggressively wooed international runners Admire Daytona earned his way into the race by winning the UAE Derby in Dubai eking out a nose win in a race that carries Kentucky Derby qualifying points There’s no doubt that Japanese-trained horses are on the rise but the first Japanese Kentucky Derby winner will have to wait as is a race record for Admire Daytona that This Japanese runner earned points in the Japan series of qualifying races He comes to the Derby with four straight wins and he’s sired by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah After finishing third in his first start last October this $825,000 yearling purchase has reeled off four straight wins His speed figures tower over those of most of his rivals here and he’s got a stalking running style that means that he can sit in the second tier of runners before finding space to run late If Journalism makes the post-race headlines it will be the first Derby win for both trainer and jockey Wilkes is one of those trainers who doesn’t run in big races just for the sake of it Burnham Square turned in two impressive performances to earn his way here a 1 3/4-length win in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park and a nose victory in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland though he is perhaps not quite fast enough to hit the wire first Grande was the second horse from the field scratched, removed from the field Friday morning due to a foot bruise so no other horse will draw into the field Here’s another that squeaked his way into the Derby field at the last minute running second in a qualifying race in March but Turfway Park runs on a synthetic surface meaning that this runner will be making his first start on dirt in a huge field with experienced The buzz on this horse has run hot and cold since he debuted with an eight-length win at Ellis Park last August then faltered badly in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Risen Star Stakes A narrow loss in the Blue Grass put him squarely back in the Derby picture Anyone with me on the Journalism/Publisher exacta hunch bet A hunch might be the only way to convince yourself to bet this horse and those finishes earned him enough points to get into the race It would indeed be breaking news for a maiden to win the Derby After a couple of good races as a 2-year-old this colt has made it to the winner’s circle only once in five races going back to last October though his closing style may help him complete some vertical exotics Rocket Ship Racing and Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) McPeek won both the Oaks and Derby last year and he’s got runners in both again this year This colt is unlikely to get him back to the Churchill winner’s circle on Saturday Winless since breaking his maiden last October and while analyzing jockey changes can be a fool’s errand the jockey who rode McPeek’s horses to Oaks and Derby victory last year is on another horse in the race this year Thursday morning, McPeek told Stephen Andress the colt is suffering from a quarter crack keep in mind this is the ailment that plagued 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown ahead of his Triple Crown attempt in the Belmont Stakes Big Brown ended up being eased in that race A pretty consistent runner in listed stakes races Coal Battle impressed when taking the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs in his first jump into graded stakes company He followed that up with a distance third-place finish last out and while his versatile running style could be useful here which he’s thus far not shown in his eight-race career This impressively bred colt brought $1.2 million as a 2-year-old a year ago March winning the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and placing in three other graded stakes His late-closing style won’t be hampered by this outside post and while two of his worst races have come over the Churchill Downs track I expect him to be well in the mix and will try to beat Journalism with him Bill Mott isn’t the sort of trainer who will enter just to have a horse in the Derby, so even though this horse is fairly lightly raced In his first start off a five-month layoff he won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes by a neck then came back to finish second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby This long shot is getting a lot of attention from racing insiders and he began his career on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park in December he headed to Louisiana and the Derby trail to run in two qualifying races He’s another one who likes to run from off the pace This promising colt looked great until his final prep the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in early April He’d been first or second in five of six races but a bad break in the Blue Grass left him with a sixth-place finish not exactly how you want to head into the Derby and this far outside post does him absolutely no favors With Rodriguez scratching Thursday afternoon he won’t have any easy task getting to the lead from the far outside and he was a different animal when he got on dirt earning a win and two seconds in three starts That included a runner-up finish by less than a length to Derby favorite Journalism in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby If Prat can harness that early speed while the others duel up front he could easily be in contention at the end given the impressive speed figure for Baeza’s last-out effort in the Santa Anita Derby While I’d like to see more experience before he jumps into the madness that is the Derby field (Photo of Journalism: Andy Lyons / Getty Images) Teresa Genaro is a contributor to The Athletic's horse racing coverage she has published work in The New York Times and New York Breeder and was featured in the PBS documentaries The Track at Saratoga: America's Grandest Race Course and Old Bones: The Story of Exterminator She co-hosted a web series for The Racing Biz on diversity and equity in the horse racing industry she teaches high school English in Brooklyn 18-wheeled horse transport van rolled up alongside Barn 59 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia seven miles due west of Pasadena and about 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains Workers efficiently loaded 15 horses in the care of thoroughbred trainer Michael McCarthy up a short ramp and into small travel stalls on the van driver Ysidro Cruz -- everybody calls him Sid -- slowly negotiated the hulking van off the backstretch to Baldwin Ave and toward his final destination at the San Luis Rey Downs thoroughbred training center just north of San Diego Cruz took the I-210 Freeway west to the I-15 Freeway south before exiting on Route 76 The 107-mile trip took two hours and seven minutes the third-generation horse transport owner whose company provided the exact travel times from her GPS tracking database.) The horses were offloaded into McCarthy’s barn at San Luis Rey “Nothing remarkable about the trip...,” Sahadi told me There was nothing remarkable about the trip It was what horses do every day in America and around the world: They get on vans and they travel from place to place for an array of functional reasons But the rest of that morning in Southern California In the evening before McCarthy’s (and others’) horses moved a wildfire had started in the steep hills above and to the west of Santa Anita; eight hours earlier a larger fire had exploded in Pacific Palisades dominating cable news coverage and stretching emergency resources the second fire was encroaching on residential areas and was ominously visible from the racetrack it would become the Eaton Fire (for Eaton Canyon the second-most destructive wildfire in California history and upending daily life for what is likely to be years It would kill 18 people before containment Many track employees stayed overnight on the grounds not only to help oversee emergency operations but because many of their own homes were endangered McCarthy’s family had left their Altadena home in the fire’s path and moved into a hotel but McCarthy slept only fitfully and got up at 4 a.m to check on his house before going to work “And there were embers flying around.” There was a justifiable sense of uncertainty Among the total of 17 horses (two on another van) that McCarthy sent away was a handsome and well-balanced three-year-old bay colt named Journalism He had raced three times before the fire -- losing a maiden six-furlong race that was too short for his long stride and big body winning the 1 1/16-mile Los Alamos Futurity by a widening and dominant 3 1/2 lengths It is a weary narrative tool to explain a successful racehorse’s story as a “journey.” Where he was born (and who were his parents) where he landed in the sprawling ecosystem of the sport and under whose ownership and in what trainer’s hands We do this in large part because horses cannot tell their own stories Today Journalism is the favorite to win Saturday’s 151st Kentucky Derby to the extent that any horse can be favored to win a 20-horse rodeo witnessed by more than 150,000 raucous partygoers at a distance of 1 1/4 miles which none of them have run previously and most will never run again The longer view: Journalism was moved from his home in the midst of a natural disaster just as tens of thousands of Californians hope to do As North Carolinians and Floridians are still doing from hurricanes and their side effects as millions of Americans attempt to do every day in these disquieting times of ours I drove my rental car north out of downtown Pasadena on Lake Ave. across the border into Altadena and up into the hillside streets most damaged by the Eaton Fire It is part of small-j journalism to observe the detritus of tragedy where possible and to not accept others’ descriptions of painful landscapes tinged with guilt from voyeuristically co-opting pain I rode with New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees through the city’s Lower Ninth Ward which had been disproportionately punished by Hurricane Katrina with members of a high school football team after an F5 tornado leveled many of their neighborhoods It’s not possible to experience what took place The destruction goes on until blocks turn into miles each empty parcel representing a family or some other collection of humans the carnage is intermittently paused by a home that was seemingly untouched trees have blossomed in vibrant shades of green mountains stretch horizontally across the field of vision; the areas toward Altadena and Sierra Madre CA - APRIL 22: Altadena timelapse photographed at 2900 N Fair Oaks Ave Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) It will be at least late summer before McCarthy and after more than a decade living the successful but itinerant life of a trainer he came back and started his own operation in 2014 and then walked to the track and talked some more he pointed in one direction and then another “My parents live across the street over there,” he said “My in-laws’ house backs up to the turf course We’re over there on the hill.” He could hear race calls from his childhood yard His middle school friends were the sons and daughters of horse trainers on up the ladder until he was a trusted assistant for Hall of Famer and two-time Derby winner Todd Pletcher His life unfolds in the 24/7/365 rhythm of the racetrack and now there is more with the aftermath of the fire He struggles with the contrary emotion that those who lost their homes entirely can find a fresher start When I characterize his situation as “Pain,” he corrects me: “Not pain inconvenience.” These are degrees of massive upheaval; it will take time to work through it all “Eighty or 90 miles an hour.” His thoughts: “The horses were in their environment,” McCarthy said which is where they go when they know something is going on I felt like this was the safest place for them.” But to make sure we didn’t upset their routine I asked McCarthy if he feared the fire might make it all the way across the freeway and onto the track “From those mountains to right here is two-and-a-half miles plus a huge fire break with the 210 Freeway.” Pause but this is a story about living with and moving past all kinds of pain.) Sahadi remembers both his departure and his return ‘I’ll walk right on there for you.’ Some horses are fearful “He came home and fell right back into his routine Journalism is the son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin who McCarthy helped Pletcher defeat in the 2007 Belmont Stakes with the filly Rags to Riches; and of a mare a Pletcher colt who was scratched from the field on the day before the 2011 Kentucky Derby The human side of racing can sometimes seem as familial as the equine piece Journalism came back to the races this year on the first day of March and won the San Felipe Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths; the third-place finisher was Rodriguez the Bob Baffert-trained colt who went on to win the Wood Memorial prep race and would have been among the Derby contenders had he not been scratched Thursday afternoon Journalism was twice cut off by other horses in the running of the race incidents that would discourage many horses “Love that he overcame that adversity,” said McCarthy “He just doesn’t get discouraged.” Metaphor alert And this: Both prep races were run at Santa Anita against the backdrop of burned mountains in the nascent stages of recovery Now we’re standing in Journalism’s stall No which is pressed against the wooden barrier at the back of the stall; and me Journalism stands 16 hands and nearly two inches tall at the base of his neck an inch shorter than Secretariat (just for reference (But Journalism is verifiably fast and has shown he can recover from trouble if not avoid it altogether.) Straw is gathered around Journalism’s feet like a blanket like a runner with big quads.” As McCarthy talks Journalism shifts his right eye in our direction for reasons entirely unknown Secretariat. 1973. The fastest mile-and-a-quarter in Kentucky Derby history But did you know that more than 50 years after Big Red ran for the roses (and then the Triple Crown) his greatness still factors prominently in American horse racing In fact, a search of pedigrees shows every horse running in the 151st Kentucky Derby is a descendant of Secretariat if you go back six generations in most horses you'll find they're a descendant of some great "It’s one of those stats," Derby contending trainer Whit Beckman said "It’s bound to happen at some point with how much he shows up in every single pedigree who claims Secretariat in his pedigree five generations back Secretariat was the sire of Weekend Surprise (That's the great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather who went on to win the Belmont Stakes by clocking the second-fastest running behind his damsire Secretariat shows up in the third generation of Render Judgment and Sovereignty (fifth-generation descendant of Secretariat) as well as the fourth generation of Chunk of Gold and Journalism (sixth generation) Secretariat was also the sire of Terlingua was once the leading sire in North America (He remained in Kentucky to stand his entire career.) Storm Cat was the third sire of Final Gambit making him a fifth-generation Secretariat descendant (You can find Storm Cat in last year's Kentucky Derby winner's lineage making Secretariat his great-great-great-great-great grandsire.) American Promise has a long pedigree to Secretariat Indy appears through his mother's line four generations ago East Avenue can claim Secretariat in his lineage seven generations ago While Publisher has Storm Cat in his lineage his shorter relation to Big Red is through his fourth dam Secrettame Owen Almighty is a fifth-generation Secretariat descendant while Baeza is a sixth-generation descendant whose lineage to Secretariat goes back only four generations In all, Secretariat sired more than 660 registered foals. And 52 years after crossing the wire at Churchill Downs one of his descendants is about to become a Kentucky Derby champion Stephanie Kuzydym is an enterprise and investigative sports reporter, with a focus on the health and safety of athletes. She can be reached at skuzydym@courier-journal.com. Follow her for updates at @stephkuzy 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 Sovereignty won the 151st Kentucky Derby on Saturday overtaking favorite Journalism late in the race to collect a payout of $3.1 million for the winner with a purse of $5 million for the second straight year Jockey Junior Alvarado rode Sovereignty to victory in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville to kick off the first race of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing Here is a full breakdown of all the winning payouts and what the top five horses took home for their owners: (Winnings based on a $2 bet unless otherwise noted) With Sovereignty handling the slop at Churchill Downs to win the 151st Kentucky Derby we offer seven takeaways on NBC’s Derby coverage from the dry comforts of our home the first person to call the Kentucky Derby for 15 straight years Here are the words he chose — incredibly precise: It will be SOVEREIGNTY TO RULE THE KENTUCKY DERBY!” Something I wish NBC did on Saturday was hold the leaderboard graphic for additional seconds which would have given viewers a better feel for Sovereignty roaring to catch the field We got a split-second graphic showing Journalism moving into fourth and that was it for the leaderboard Ahmed Fareed undoubtedly raised his stock with NBC Sports brass on Saturday Fareed is a regular part of the Derby coverage but had to take over as the main host of the coverage in the 3:00 p.m ET hour as regular host Mike Tirico sounded sick when he came on the air Tirico later posted on X that he had “a significant reaction to my nut allergy If you have one you know how it can knock you down.” Tirico went back to the hotel during the coverage Fareed seamlessly handled the host role and found easy chemistry with analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss NBC thankfully scaled back on the over-the-top celebrity drop-ins when compared to previous Derby years But they still included an unwatchable segment with Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios Find someone who loves you as much as NBCU loves the nexus of celebrity and sports it would take me too much time if I stood behind the gate and tried to follow the horses,” Brothers said “So I stand behind the gates as the horses are loading into the starting gate and I watch in case there’s any sort of an incident with any of the horses loading and they might need to come to me for a report As that last horse goes into the starting gate I take off for what we’d call the wrong way of the racetrack the opposite direction that the horses are gonna be running “So I’m on the outside fence galloping along and I’ll get to about the half mile pole or just before the half-mile pole and about that time the horses have now turned up the backstretch,” she continued “I wait with one or two of the outriders for the field to go past me That’s the only time I really get to see the horses and the riders so I try to take a snapshot at that point and think do the three or four horses on the lead look like the jockey is sitting on a lot of horse “Then I look to see where’s the favorite is or a couple of the horses that are gonna be closing and do they look like they’re in a position to close or do they like they look they’re too far back and they’ve already given up the field goes by us and then we take off running the wrong way again I’m listening to Larry Collmus’ call of the race and hope that he doesn’t say something at the end It will be interesting to see if the Derby can follow up on last year’s viewership which was a big increase relative to recent years Last year’s broadcast averaged a total audience of 16.7 million viewers the largest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989 Viewership peaked at 20.1 million viewers from 7 to 7:15 p.m The streaming audience on Peacock was also huge Peacock said it had an average minute audience of 714,000 viewers A viewership snapshot of the last couple of years: ahead of the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby People walk passed water build up in the infield during the Kentucky Derby 2025 Horses broke from the starting gate in the 3rd race of the day at the 2025 Kentucky Derby A view of the crowd in the infield during the Kentucky Derby 2025 Davey and Jessica Krause from Kansas City take a photo in front of the spires Javier Castellano aboard Macho Music celebrates his victory of the 101st running of The Pat Day Mile The pack turns the final turn during the Kentucky Derby 2025 Mark and Mindy Jackson of Alabama look on during the Kentucky Derby 2025 People look as the field heads down the final strait away in the second race during the Kentucky Derby 2025 Tony Offutt stands in the infield during the Kentucky Derby 2025 bow tie during a bachelor party in the Starting Gate Lounge at Churchill Downs Veteran sportscaster Mike Tirico is a late scratch at the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Tirico, who has led NBC Sports' Triple Crown coverage since 2017, was on the call Saturday for the network ahead of "The Run for the Roses" on a rainy and cold day at Churchill Downs, but eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Tirico appeared to be less than 100%. Tirico had to step away from the Kentucky Derby coverage in Louisville shortly after 3 p.m Although it wasn't clear if Tirico would return for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby ET that Tirico wouldn't return after suffering from an allergic reaction "We want to tell you that (Mike) does have a nut allergy. He had a reaction earlier today," announced NBC Sports host Ahmed Fareed who took over for Tirico on the NBC Sports desk on the racetrack but he is just going to stay on the sidelines I hope you are feeling better and get back to yourself very soon." KENTUCKY DERBY 2025 LIVE UPDATES: Time, TV, odds, results from Churchill Downs Social media reactsHere's how social media reacted to Tirico's departure from Kentucky Derby coverage Sovereignty reigns at the 2025 Kentucky Derby which galloped through thick mud at Churchill Downs after daylong showers Baffert's six Kentucky Derby wins are tied with Ben Jones Sovereignty trainer Bill Mott’s lone Kentucky Derby win before Saturday came with an asterisk in 2019 when Country House crossed the line second but was declared the winner after the disqualification of Maximum Security Saturday Mott was asked about his second Derby winner "This one got here the right way," Mott said will come May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore Here is how the 2025 Kentucky Derby unfolded: Kentucky Derby earnings for Top 5 finishersFirst: Sovereignty, $3.1 millionSecond: Journalism, $1 millionThird: Baeza, $500,000Fourth: Final Gambit, $250,000Fifth: Owen Almighty, $150,000Kentucky Derby payoutsSovereignty payoutOdds: 5/1 Here are odds for each horse in the 2025 Kentucky Derby the ruler of Dubai as well as vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates — it has found Triple Crown triumphs hard to come by until Saturday Biles donned a lavender ensemble from The Hat Girls a three-time featured milliner of the Kentucky Derby Biles paired her lavender strapless mini dress adorned with diamonds with a fascinator and matching eyeshadow The 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, arrived with 19 horses competing for the prestigious garland of roses, with Sovereignty taking the top prize The day also saw a 14-race undercard lineup Here are the results from all 14 races from Churchill Downs Post time for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is 7:02 p.m The Kentucky Derby will be broadcast live on NBC For cord-cutters, the Kentucky Derby can be streamed on Peacock, with coverage starting at noon ET. You can also watch via Fubo The journey may continue with the second leg of the Triple Crown ET and will be covered across NBC and Peacock The official attendance inside Churchill Downs was announced as 147,406 Watch the Kentucky Derby with Fubo Results from the 11th race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Kentucky Derby 2025 set to generate historic wagering numbersKentucky Oaks Day 2025 set another wagering record Churchill Downs Incorporated said in a news release Friday Wagering from all sources was $73.9 million including $22.7 million (up 4% from 2024) bet on the day's marquee race today's Kentucky Derby will also generate historic wagering numbers Results from the 10th race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: "Veteran sportscaster Mike Tirico is a late scratch at the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Tirico, who has led NBC Sports' Triple Crown coverage since 2017, was on the call Saturday for the network ahead of "The Run for the Roses" on a rainy and cold day at Churchill Downs, but eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Tirico appeared to be less than 100%. It was later announced that Tirico had to step away from the Kentucky Derby coverage in Louisville shortly after 3 p.m ET due to feeling "under the weather." - Cydney Henderson Ahmed Fareed gave an update on Tirico during NBC's broadcast: "We want to tell you that he does have a nut allergy but he's just going to stay on the sideline hope you're feeling better and get back to yourself here very soon." Read the story here Results from the ninth race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Results from the eighth race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: wishes Sandman well ahead of the Kentucky Derby Werth's horse, Flying Mohawk, will race in the 151st Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs on Saturday Werth offered fans around the area a mohawk for a chance to earn tickets for the Derby." --- Ehsan Kassim Read more here Results from the seventh race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Race 6: Pat Day MileResults from the sixth race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Results from the fifth race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Results from the fourth race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Results from the third race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Results from the second race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: Results of the first race at Churchill Downs on Saturday: But the good news (so far, at least) is that meteorologists expect it to be early. As of Saturday morning, National Weather Service in Louisville predicts a 100% chance of precipitation Saturday for the Kentucky Derby with showers most likely to be prevalent before 5 p.m There's still a chance of showers and a thunderstorm after 5 p.m with a high near 63 and a North wind 3 to 6 mph If you're sent scrambling for a poncho at Churchill Downs and need help adjusting your Derby bets here are the contenders who have experience in the rain and its aftermath — presented in order of their numbers in the program accompanied by their morning-line odds - Brooks Holton Churchill Downs announced on April 21 that the purse for the 2025 Kentucky Derby will be the same as it was for the 150th edition of the Run for the Roses at $5 million The winner of Derby 151 will take home a cash prize of $3.1 million which was a record-breaking winner's share this time last year when Mystik Dan won The jockey of the winning horse will earn 10% of the first-place prize Here's a breakdown of what the purse for this year's Kentucky Derby is: 1st place: $3.1 million2nd place: $1 million3rd place: $500,0004th place: $250,0005th place: $150,000— John Leuzzi Churchill Downs is one of the most packed venues in sports The venue hosts around 165,000 people for the Kentucky Derby a majority of which are in the grandstands of the race track For standing room only tickets and general admission up more than $100 from the listed price at the end of April Expect to shell out at least $135,000 for a private suite with reserved seating going for at least $721 The Kentucky Derby offers what are called "Derby Experiences" tickets which include admission to the event and various accommodations through four different admission packages joined the field in place of Rodriguez; there is no replacement for Grande It opened in 1875 and has hosted the Kentucky Derby ever since Kentucky Derby parade of rosesAs the rain slowed into a steady drizzle over Churchill Downs dozens gathered outside the main gates to watch the parade of roses The Garland of Roses which will be donned on the winner of the Kentucky Derby were unloaded from a Kroger ice box truck and paraded through the Woodford Reserve Paddock Plaza Race fans oh'd and ah'd as members of the military carried the bright red roses into the track dozens of bouquets of Kroger roses were carried into the track as well Churchill Downs occupies 147 acres and it features a one-mile dirt, oval racetrack and a seven-furlong turf racecourse. It is also has barns behind the racetrack, which "house more than 1,400 horses each year," according to the facility Here are the Kentucky Derby winners over the years with the winning horse and the winning time in parentheses Follow USA TODAY Sports on Bluesky it remained in a box in Banahan's home — in a drawer with "some other stuff," he sheepishly admitted But in the days leading into this year's Kentucky Derby The decision to wear the tooth, sewn inside his suit Saturday at Churchill Downs was cemented following a conversation with Williams "He asked yesterday about the win in the Oaks," Banahan, Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock 'I'll bring the whole wolf tooth with me tomorrow for a bit of luck.' He was delighted with that." Banahan said he didn't allow himself to view Good Cheer's victory as a good omen for the Derby "We did have — I wouldn't say, 'confidence,' but we were very hopeful that we had two very nice horses that were going to be able to perform on the day," said Banahan, referring to Godolphin's other Derby starter Saturday, East Avenue. "And both were complementary running styles where one was going to be up closer to the pace and one coming from off the pace So we felt good going in there that we had a couple of angles covered." Godolphin has had thoroughbred racing in the palm of its (figuratively large) hand all year It entered the Derby at the top of the charts in earnings among North American thoroughbred owners in 2025 which left the gate as the third favorite in the betting odds at 7-1 Run by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as well as vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates Godolphin is a worldwide behemoth in the thoroughbred industry It’s won the Eclipse Award for outstanding owner seven times That includes five straight years (2020-24) entering 2025 It’s placed among the top two in earnings in North America five straight seasons taking first the last four (2021 through 2024) Even before Saturday’s Derby triumph, Godolphin had winnings of $5.32 million in 2025, far and away No. 1 on the North America ownership charts — and more than triple its closest competitor (Calumet Farm at $1.75 million) Despite all its planet-spanning success, however, Godolphin has struggled in Triple Crown races Godolphin reigned supreme thanks to Sovereignty "I am really thrilled and honored," said Sovereignty's trainer, Bill Mott but a lot of us owe him a lot for keeping Godolphin going And the breeding operation that they've got going on "They let you be part of the team, and they let (Sovereignty's jockey) Junior (Alvarado) and I be part of the team and help make the decisions on what's going on," Mott said Possibly, in part, because of Seattle Slew — coincidentally, one of Sovereignty's ancestors "A Derby winner. A Triple Crown winner Why not (bring the wolf tooth)?" Banahan said Banahan made it clear he's "not superstitious at all." "Don't leave anything to chance!" Banahan exclaimed as he stepped down from the stage following the winner's news conference prepared to walk off into the cool Kentucky night 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 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." Sovereignty reigned on a rainy Saturday in the 151st Kentucky Derby at a sloppy Churchill Downs in Louisville the 3-year-old colt held off pre-race favorite Journalism (3-1) down the stretch in the slop and mud by 1 ½ lengths in 2:02.31 Jockey Junior Alvarado earned his first Derby win while trainer Bill Mott notched his second it’s the first time one of Mott’s horses has been first to cross the finish line as Country House prevailed in 2019 after Maximum Security was disqualified for an in-race foul “This one got there the right way,” Mott 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.” an alternate which didn’t enter the field until Thursday after a scratch was third; Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth Sovereignty earned $3.1 million from the $5 million purse It also completed the career Triple Crown for owner and Godolphin founder and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Owner each of the last five years whose horses previously won the Preakness (2006 Sovereignty’s maternal grandfather) and the Belmont (2021 Godolphin’s 3-year-old filly, Good Cheer, won the Kentucky Oaks Friday Citizen Bull, from the No. 1 position, set the early pace, as trainer Bob Baffert said he must. Baffert, a six-time Kentucky Derby champion, was making his return to the race following a three-year suspension after Medina Spirit was later disqualified for testing positive for a prohibited race-day medication He knew his horse needed a strong start and but the latter didn’t happen as he faded to 15th in the field of 19 it was a two-horse race with Sovereignty and Journalism pulling away from everyone else but each other Journalism ran into trouble early around the first turn and jockey Umberto Rispoli moved him outside big horse didn’t have the extra gear to get past the deep closer “It means the world to me,” Alvarado said immediately after the race May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for which the field is still to be determined Sovereignty’s connections did not immediately commit the most recent pre-race favorite to capture the Derby is also the most recent horse to win each of the sport’s three crown jewels in the same year (2018)