LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Invoice Mott is within the Corridor of Fame. He received the Kentucky Derby in 2019, but it surely was by disqualification. The coach by no means received to see his horse cross the end line first. Till now.

In an thrilling stretch run Sovereignty and Journalism battled till the ultimate strides when Sovereignty pulled forward to win the 151st Kentucky Derby by 1½ lengths Saturday.

Sovereignty got here to this spot by ending second within the Florida Derby. However this time he needed to navigate the 19-horse discipline to win on a chilly and drizzly day earlier than 147,406 at Churchill Downs.

Journalism, the 7-2 favourite, received crowded and shuffled again initially of the race however going across the far flip, jockey Umberto Rispoli received him to start out selecting off horses. Sovereignty was following proper behind him. When the horses hit the highest of the stretch, it was clear it was all the way down to the 2 horses.

The beginning of the race was very crowded on the within. Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old Eclipse champion, went into the lead and moved towards the middle of the monitor. The primary half mile of the 1 ¼-mile race was run in a quick however not brutal 46.23 seconds. By the top, all that was left have been the closers as a lot of the early pace light out.

Baeza, who entered the race on Thursday after Rodriguez scratched out, completed a robust third. The remainder of the sphere, so as was Remaining Gambit, Owen Almighty, Burnham Sq., Sandman, East Avenue, Chunk of Gold, Tiztastic, Coal Battle, Luxor Café, Neoequos, Writer, Citizen Bull, American Promise, Render Judgment, Flying Mohawk and Admire Daytona.

Sovereignty paid $17.96 to win.

“He made up a lot of ground in a hurry,” Mott mentioned. “This one got here the right way. I mean, he’s done well, he’s a great horse. He comes to us from a great organization (Godolphin) and I can’t say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and did everything to make this happen.”

The successful rider was Junior Alvarado. It was his first Kentucky Derby win.

Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, crosses the end line to win the 151st working of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

(Jeff Roberson / Related Press)

This marked the return of Bob Baffert to Churchill Downs after the monitor banned him from racing for 3 years. The transfer was made after Medina Spirit examined optimistic for a authorized remedy, however not authorized on race day. It led to a collection of court docket fights during which Churchill Downs prevailed.

Baffert introduced two horses to run within the Derby, Citizen Bull and Rodriguez. Nonetheless, Rodriguez was scratched Thursday when he had sensitivity in one among his hooves. The damage was not thought of severe and he’s now pointed to run within the Preakness Stakes in two weeks.

Rodriguez received the Wooden Memorial a month in the past at Aqueduct. Second in that race was Grande, who scratched Friday morning. The horse had been battling a barely cracked heel however the X-rays have been clear. It prompted an indignant response from proprietor Mike Repole.

“With all the diagnostics we have taken, the great vets we use, and the experience of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we are baffled and confused by what criteria vets are using to determine who scratches, who doesn’t and when … especially when every diagnostic tells us the horse is safe and sound,” Repole posted on X.

By way of the years, Repole has had three horses scratch from the Derby.

Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, heart, crosses the end line to win the Kentucky Derby.

(Abbie Parr / Related Press)

The scratch of Rodriguez allowed Baeza, second within the Santa Anita Derby to Journalism, within the discipline. The horse got here to Churchill Downs with no assured spot within the race. As a result of the scratch got here after the draw, Baeza needed to begin within the farthest exterior put up.

This yr’s Derby didn’t have the thrill of final yr’s, the one hundred and fiftieth working of the race. And the moist climate additionally dampened the passion of some followers, a lot of whom moved to lined areas. Plastic ponchos have been the favored apparel on the day.

Derby Day has the most effective undercard of any day unique of the Breeders’ Cup. Among the many highlights:

Mindframe ($9.08 to win) received the $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes, a seven furlong race. It marked the return of Nysos, who hadn’t raced in 15 months. He was Baffert’s “A” horse for final yr’s Derby till he was injured. He hasn’t raced record the Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. Nysos and Banishing completed in a useless warmth for second. There have been 4 horses throughout the end line inside a size of one another.Macho Music ($29.86) pulled an upset in successful the $600,000 Pat Day Mile. Usually when a 13-1 goes to the lead early, they again up on the finish. However not Macho Music. Baffert completed second and third with Madaket Highway and Gaming. “I thought the winner was going to come back a little bit but he never did,” mentioned Irad Ortiz Jr., Madaket Highway’s jockey. Madaket Highway had sufficient factors to qualify for the Derby however Baffert thought the space of the Derby might need been an excessive amount of.Coach Richard Mandella doesn‘t ship often to Churchill Downs, but when he does he means business. He proved it again when Kopion ($7.48) won the $1 million Derby City Distaff. Kopion is a daughter of Omaha Beach, who Mandella brought to the Derby as the favorite in 2019. The horse had to scratch. Baffert’s Hope Highway completed second making it a Southern California exacta.