Trainer Bill Mott won the Kentucky Derby without his horse crossing the finish line first. In 2019, Mott-trained country houses were first promoted after maximum security was disqualified due to interference. Until Saturday evening, it was the only Kentucky Derby victory for the Hall of Fame trainers. This year, 71-year-old Mott was able to see his horse eventually cross the Derby finish line as his horse’s sovereignty left the starting gate.
As expected, sovereignty stayed behind the gate, causing frontrunners to set a sloppy track fast pace on a rainy Saturday at Churchill Downs, but offtracks didn’t stop him from charging from conventional slow charges to the front. Junior Alvarado chose the right time to move his sovereignty into the final turn, and he fought against his favorite journalism and eventually ran for the lead to win the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
18 Sovereignty (5-1 on the morning line, 7-1 now)
Trainer Bill Mott Jockey Junior Alvaradora Strace Florida Derby 2nd place 1¼ length Scare Rare Record 5 start: 2 wins, 2 seconds revenue $572,800 best career speed diagram
Below we dig into more sovereignty as part of a series that profiles all the horses competing in the 151st Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3rd. Here we look back at his past performances.
Kentucky Derby Profile 1 Citizen Bull | 2 neoequos | 3 final gambit | 5 American promises | 6 praise Daytona | 7 Luxor Cafe | 8 Journalism | 9 Burnham Square | 11 Flying Mohawk | 12 East Avenue | 13 Publishers | 14 Tiztastic | 15 Rendering Judgments | 16 Coal Battle | 17 Sandman | 18 Sovereignty | 19 Gold | 20 Owen Almighty | 21 Baeza
Kentucky Derby chooses Michelle Yue Genes | Jody Demling | Jeff Hochman
Now that you know who is on the field, you’ll want to know how to bet the Kentucky Derby on the top horse race betting app.
Starting times, odds and previews for the 2025 Kentucky Derby: Journalism is preferred, horse profiles, betting strategies
Genetic Menez
Things you need to know about sovereignty
Last year’s best two-year-old race was not the Breeders’ Cup boy, but the 10th race at Churchill Downs on October 27th. He was one of only three horses at Kentucky Derby Field and won the Churchill Downs. All three of these horses will ultimately make the Kentucky Derby, but sovereignty left Street Sense as the three strongest derby candidates at the odds of future betting for the Kentucky Derby at Fanduel Racing and Twin Spire.
However, his next performance was an engraved sovereignty as a major threat to wearing a rose blanket. Although reportedly they never fit after more than four months of layoffs, sovereignty came together from the end, running down the talented river at the head of the young man’s lucrative stake.
He finished second in the next start, the Florida Derby, but that was perfect preparation for Kentucky. Mott knew that his goal was the first Saturday in May and not the last Saturday in March.
Since that race, Sovereignty has trained beautifully at Churchill Downs, according to trackside observers, and poised to make great efforts in the Derby. His top career 95 Bayer Speed figure is average in this field, so he needs it.
The running style figure from the Sovereignty Cam is perfect for this year’s Derby, given the plentiful speed horses on the field. But like all closers in a race, there are many. And even if he gets these two, he could lose massive ground on the second turn while passing the tired horse.
Sovereignty is predicted to be the last of 20 horses. This means that you may have to go through the entire field to reach the winner’s circle, but that’s something he’s done before.
Post-drawing analysis
The post position is unlikely to affect his chances as sovereignty is likely to be the last of the Derby horse when they pass under the wire for the first time. From this No. 18 post position, he tries to save as much ground as possible around the first turn, then runs late. You won’t be surprised to see jockey junior Alvarado following Sandman.
