Kentucky Derby-winning jockey fined, suspended for excessive riding crop use on Sovereignty during race

The jockey who rode Sovereignty to victory at last weekend’s Kentucky Derby has been issued a fine and suspension for striking the 3-year-old colt with his riding crop an excessive amount during the race.

Jockey Junior Alvarado was given a $62,000 fine and suspended two upcoming racing days at Churchill Downs for violating the rules of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a nationwide organization that regulates the sport.

In a ruling handed down Friday, the Kentucky Board of Stewards, which oversees horseracing in Kentucky, determined that Alvarado struck Sovereignty eight times with his riding crop, “which is more than the permitted amount” under HISA rules, HISA spokesperson Mandy Minger told CBS News in a statement Saturday.

Under the HISA rule, a crop can only be used a maximum of six times during a race.

The fine for such a violation is 10% of the jockey’s portion of the $3.1 million purse. Alvarado pocketed $310,000 for the win, meaning he would get a $31,000 fine.

However, this marked the second time in the past 180 days in which Alvarado had violated the rule while racing in Kentucky, which led to stewards doubling the fine under an “escalating penalty structure,” Minger explained, resulting in the $62,000 number, along with the two-day suspension that will be served at the end of May.  

All jockey crop fines go towards a jockey mental health program, HISA said.

Sovereignty is owned by Godolphin —the name of the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum — and trained by William Mott. Sovereignty entered the 151st Kentucky Derby at 5-1 odds, but edged out the heavy favorite, Journalism, in a thrilling finish in muddy, sloppy conditions.

It was announced earlier this week that Sovereignty will not run in Preakness Stakes on May 17, ending his chances of a Triple Crown, a feat which has not been achieved since Justify did it in 2018.

However, Mott told reporters that Sovereignty is still expected to run in the Belmont Stakes on June 7, the final race of the Triple Crown.

Prior to the May 3 Derby, Sovereignty had finished second in March’s Florida Derby and won the Fountain of Youth Stakes earlier that month, as well as the Street Sense Stakes last October. 

contributed to this report.