“He was a little bit upset with the mud in his face, he was very surprised after the summer heat,” said Umberto Rispoli after finishing the 151st Kentucky Derby in second place with Journalism. With that, the Italian jockey also noted that he would be looking to settle the score with Derby winner Sovereignty on May 17 at the Preakness Stakes. However, that might not be on the table after all.
Pulling off an incredible victory at Churchill Downs on May 3, the Bill Mott-trained and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai-owned Sovereignty stunned the horse racing community by winning the Kentucky Derby last Saturday. Subsequently, the thoroughbred also began the debate if it has what it takes to win the coveted Triple Crown. But it looks like Bob Baffert’s Justify will continue to be the last horse to boast the title for the time being.
In a post on X, Daily Racing Form‘s David Grening noted that Sovereignty will be pulling out of the May 17 race in order to focus on the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. “Sovereignty to skip Preakness, point to Belmont Stakes,” the social media update notes.
On Sunday, trainer Mott revealed that Sovereignty picked up a scrape on its right front pastern, just above its hoof. “I believe we want to do what’s best for the horse,” the trainer said. “We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness Stakes. We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision,” Mike Rogers, of the Preakness, said in a statement Tuesday.
Sovereignty to skip Preakness, point to Belmont Stakes.
— David Grening (@DRFGrening) May 6, 2025
The story is developing
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