You really had to see the 2025 Kentucky Derby to believe it! Even with all the buzz about Journalism, who had those 3-1 odds, he ended up losing to Sovereignty, who was at 5-1, in the final stretch at Churchill Downs. Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by jockey Junior Alvarado, managed to overcome the tough 18th post position and completed the 1 1/4-mile race in a time of 2:02.31.
So, Journalism took second place, Baeza came in third, and Final Gambit ended up in fourth. There were a bunch of different factors that also played a role in the race. As in? So, the track was pretty muddy, but even with that going on, Sovereignty still managed to come out on top against the competition.
On X, sports journalist J.J. Hysell shared: “‘I really believe this is a very good field of Derby horses…I think we beat a group of horses that are talented.’ – Bill Mott.” Also, horse racing photographer Alex Evers totally backed up the trainer’s bold statement, saying, “I agree 1000 percent with this statement.”
So, this really highlights just how confident Mott was in his three-year-old colt. He recognized that the competition was tough, with horses like Journalism, Sandman, and a few others in the mix, but in the end, Sovereignty really earned that victory. The photographer mentioned that this year’s Derby had some really impressive competitors, according to experts.
Agree 1000 percent with this statement
— Evers (@A_Evers) May 4, 2025
It seems that in the racing community, Sovereignty’s win is held in even higher regard because it was achieved against some of the best three-year-olds we’ve seen lately. It seems like the horse has already been given a new challenge by a competitor.
Ready for Kentucky Derby revenge
Journalism was the top pick in the Kentucky Derby. So, since he didn’t win the race, the colt’s jockey Umberto Rispoli, was pretty straightforward about wanting to take on Sovereignty right off the bat, saying, “They won by a couple of lengths. On the mud today, he was the best horse. Definitely, just to swallow the pill better, I would fight him on the better ground. Look, I think there’s a lot of question marks when those things happen like that, Scott. Because the track is like that. He’s never been on this track. So I would say, let’s say then I lost the battle, not the war. So it is what it is.”
Rispoli didn’t take any credit away from the Kentucky Derby winner, but he did mention how the weather conditions really played a big role in this race. So, the Churchill Downs had a muddy racecourse, which is something Journalism has never experienced. The pace was different, and because of that, the horse ended up in second place.
But you know, aside from holding onto the past, he’s all set for what’s coming next. Rispoli believes that if there’s ever a rematch between the horses down the line, he’ll definitely aim to come out on top against the competition.
The post Kentucky Derby-Winning Trainer’s Bold Statement Gets Renowned Horse Racing Photographer’s Support appeared first on EssentiallySports.
