The ‘Riders Up’ call has been given. “My Old Kentucky Home” has been sung. And the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is officially in the books.
A little rain didn’t rain on Sovereignty’s parade.
Sovereignty won the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on a cloudy and rainy day at Churchill Downs on Saturday, reigning victorious at the first leg of the Triple Crown. Sovereignty, ridden by Jockey Junior Alvarado, covered the 1 1/4 mile distance in 2:02.31. Trainer Bill Mott, who entered Saturday 1 for 13 in the Derby after winning with Country House via disqualification in 2019, said ‘this one got there the right way.’ He added, ‘It will take a while to sink in.’
Sovereignty entered the 19-horse field with 9-1 odds. Journalism, the front-runner at 4-1 odds, finished in second place, while Baeza finished third.
Watch Sovereignty win Triple Crown race
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.