Sovereignty Overtakes Favorite Journalism In Final Turn To Win The 151st Kentucky Derby

On a muddy track at the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, it was Sovereignty who emerged victorious over Journalism.

Closing at 7-1 odds in Lane 18, the Bill Mott-trained horse made a solid push in the final turn to overtake Journalism, the favorite at 7-2. Journalism finished second, while Baeza – running on the outside lane at 14-1 odds – came in third.

Sovereignty won in 2:02.31, taking home $3.1 million of the $5 million purse. 

None of the placing horses were in the top six heading into the final turn.

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Neoequos, a 42-1 longshot, was in the lead heading into the final turn. But Sovereignty was wisely buying time and was not far behind Neoequos. In the waning moments of the race,  jockey Junior Alvarado pushed hard near the end, which proved to be enough for the win.

Alvarado won his first crown at Churchill Downs. After securing the title, he praised God for the victory.

"I have to thank my Lord Jesus for giving me this Kentucky Derby win. It was him and Sovereignty who got me all the way to the wire. It means the world to me," Alvarado said.

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He praised trainer Bill Mott for staying loyal to him even after sustaining an injury just five weeks ago.

Sovereignty, ridden by jockey Junior Alvarado, crosses the finish line to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3, 2025 in Louisville, Ky. (Photo by Grace Bradley/Getty Images)

"It's more than a dream come true to have done it with him," Alvarado said. "He called me the day I got out of the hospital and said, ‘Do what you need to do. … (If you’re healthy) you can ride him again.'"

This was Mott's second Derby victory, and his first was with Country House in 2019. Unlike on Saturday, that win came with controversy as Country House was awarded first place after Maximum Security was disqualified. 

Mott and Sovereignty will look to win the next stage of the Triple Crown at The Preakness, which takes place on May 17 at the Laurel Park Race Track in Laurel, MD.