Sovereignty wins the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby

Sovereignty bested a field of 18 challengers to win the 151st Kentucky Derby Saturday evening at Churchill Downs amid soggy conditions.

Sovereignty entered the race with 5-1 odds. The heavy favorite coming into Saturday, Journalism, finished in second place. 

Sovereignty’s team — including the owner Godolphin, jockey Junior Alvarado and trainer William Mott — will share winnings of $3.1 million, according to CBS Sports. The total purse is about $5 million to be split among the top five finishers. 

Journalism found trouble in the first turn and jockey Umberto Rispoli moved him to the outside. He and Sovereignty hooked up at the eighth pole before Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado pulled away.

The winner covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.31.

Baeza was third, Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth.

Sovereignty came in as a strong contender after finishing in second place in March’s Florida Derby, and winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes earlier in the month, as well as the Street Sense Stakes in October. 

Mott won his first Derby in 2019, also run on a sloppy track, when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and was disqualified after a 22-minute delay.    

Rain fell on and off throughout the day and the 60-degree temperature made it feel cool for the horses and humans. That didn’t stop fans from betting, drinking, eating, smoking and shopping for souvenirs.