CNN
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The Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby’s 151st run on Saturday at the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.
The 2025 edition of the longest and most continuous major sporting events in the United States featured all the dignity and pageantry that have been the hallmark of “Run of the Roses.”
After the slate in the spare race, American gymnast Simone Biles, an 11-time Olympic medalist, gave the “rider” appeal to the jockeys for the paddock.
After some time, Buggler sounded a call to the Post, and the horse began to enter the famous Churchill Downs Racecourse as the University of Louisville Marching Band and Choir performed “My Old Kentucky House.”
After a massive amount of rain fell earlier in the day, the 19 horses were taken to a muddy truck in front of a crowd of 147,406 under cool, cloudy conditions.
When the starting gate opened, it set the pace early with Citizen Bull and Neo Ecos taking the lead, but found the final frontline was congested towards the rear of the puck.
Citizen Bull and Neo Ecos were joined by American Promise and East Avenue as their leaders ran four backstretches.
As the horses run around the final turn, journalism and sovereignty began to impose their will on the remaining field. The two horses ran their necks and necks as they handed the remaining packs on the outside.
The pair reached the final 16th of a mile running from nose to nose before sovereignty began to advance, finishing half a length of pre-race favorite journalism.
Meanwhile, Baeza followed the two leaders and pushed forward, surged to a third-place finish with the neck just behind journalism.
Trained by Bill Mott and riding by Venezuelan jockey junior Alvarado, the 3-year-old sovereignty took part in the race as one of his favourites to win at 9-1 odds.
The first winner of the Derby, Alvarado gave all his credit to sovereignty.
“He, sovereignty, I took me on the wire the whole time,” Alvarado told NBC Broadcasting after the race. “It meant the world for me and my family. I thought there was a great opportunity… I was confident all week.
Mott thanked the Churchill Downs vibe and said that after winning his second career derby victory, “it takes time for him to sink.”
“This got me there the right way,” Mott said. “He did well. He’s a great horse. He comes from a great organization and I couldn’t say enough about the horse and organization that started him and did everything to make this happen.”
Bob Buffato, a six-time Kentucky Derby winner, returned to Churchill Downs on Saturday after a three-year absence.
Until last year, the Hall of Fame was banned from running horses in the first leg of the Triple Crown after a failed drug test for the horse Medina Spirit in 2021.
However, after his two horses were unable to win, he was not as successful as he had hoped.
Citizen Bull finished 15th, but Rodriguez had to withdraw earlier this week due to a wounded leg.
The next leg of the horse racing triple crown will take place in two weeks at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, with the final race at the Belmont Stakes on June 7th. The Belmont Stakes are being held in Saratoga Springs, New York for the second year in a row, thanks to the ongoing construction of a typical venue for the Belmont Park race in Elmont, New York.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Jacob Lev of CNN contributed to this report.
