By BETH HARRIS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Sovereignty outdueled 3-1 favorite Journalism down the stretch to win the 151st Kentucky Derby in the slop on Saturday, putting trainer Bill Mott in the winner’s circle without delay and snapping an 0 for 13 skid by owner Godolphin.
Mott won his first Derby in 2019, also run on a sloppy track, when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and was disqualified during a 22-minute delay.
This time, Mott had no doubt his 3-year-old colt earned the garland of roses.
“This one got there the right way,” Mott said. “I mean, he’s done well, he’s a great horse, he comes from a great organization and I can’t say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and made this happen.”
Godolphin is the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
It was quite a weekend for the sheikh. His filly, Good Cheer, won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and earlier Saturday, Ruling Court — a son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify — won the 2,000 Guineas in Britain.
Sovereignty splashed through 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.31 and paid $17.96 to win at 7-1 odds.
Journalism didn’t have the cleanest of trips in the 19-horse field, but still battled. He found trouble in the first turn and jockey Umberto Rispoli swung him to the outside to get him in the clear. Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado followed them. The two colts hooked up at the eighth pole for a thrilling battle before Sovereignty pulled away.
Baeza — who got into the race on Friday after another horse was scratched — took third. Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth.
Citizen Bull, the lone entry for six-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, set the pace. Baffert was back for the first time after serving a three-year suspension by Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first in 2021 and failed a postrace drug test.
Rain made for a soggy day, with the Churchill Downs dirt strip listed as sloppy and fans protecting their fancy hats and clothing with clear plastic ponchos.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
