Kentucky Derby Triumph for Godolphin

Tara Madgwick - Sunday May 4

Sheikh Mohammed’s revered Godolphin racing and breeding operation have won Derbies all over the world, but until today the Kentucky Derby had proven elusive, but a three year-old colt called Sovereignty changed all that at Churchill Downs before a crowd in excess of 150,000.

Cold and wet conditions did little to dampen crowd enthusiasm buoyed by a rekindling of interest from the general public in the US thanks to Nextflix series Race for the Crown, which features all the key players in last year’s Triple Crown.

While several of them were back at Churchill Downs to try their luck with a new crop of three year-olds it was Godolphin that won the day capping an astonishing weekend in which they also won the Kentucky Oaks with Good Cheer (read about her here) and the Newmarket 2000 Guineas with Ruling Court (read about him here).

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty was well fancied after two good runs earlier this year at Gulfstream in Florida where he won the Group II Fountain of Youth Stakes and was second in the Group I Florida Derby.

Advertisement

He peaked in the Derby coming from back in the field with a withering run to beat the favourite Journalism by a length and a half.

For winning rider Junior Alvarado it was his first win in the race on a horse he knows inside and out having ridden Sovereignty in five of his six races to date.

For trainer Bill Mott it was a second Kentucky Derby victory following on from Country House, who won the race on protest back in 2019.

"This is special, they're all special ... but this is better," he said in the post-race press conference.

"I don't want to take anything away from Country House's effort because he actually ran a very good race that day," Mott said.

"He may have been second best on the day, but I guess it was our luck that the horse who crossed the finish wire first took out three to four other horses. They had to do something, they had to put us up. 

"I said afterwards that I'd want to finish first, to cross the line first. We always take them any way we can get them, but this was pretty special.”

Mott has nurtured Sovereignty throughout his career with a G3 win at Churchill Downs at his third and final start last year as a two year-old proving the catalyst for a Derby campaign at three.

Bred and raced by Godolphin, Sovereignty is the 24th Group I winner for Spendthrift Farm’s champion sire Into Mischief and is his third Kentucky Derby winner joining Authentic and Mandaloun.

A six time Champion US Sire, Into Mischief stands at a fee of US$250,000 and has just turned 20.

Sovereignty is the best of two winners from unraced Bernardini mare Crowned, a daughter of Group I winner Mushka with his next two dams Sluice a stakes-winner and Lakeway a Group I winner.

Advertisment
More Reading...
$1.1million Fastnet Filly a New SW for Sheamus Mills Bloodstock
Tara Talks Racing podcast listeners would have taken notice of the Listed SAJC Adelaide Guineas (1600m) at Morphettville on Saturday featuring $1.1million Fastnet Rock filly On Display.
Deep Field's Depth Of Character Takes The Queensland Guineas
Deep Field three-year-old Depth Of Character has opened the path to a potential Group I Stradbroke Handicap tilt after winning the Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
First Stakes Winner for Cool Aza Beel
Newhaven Park’s Cool Aza Beel produced his first stakes winner when two-year-old colt Cool Archie won the Listed Dalrello Stakes (1000m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
2.3million Justify Colt Wins G1 Newmarket 2000 Guineas for Godolphin
The weekend started well for Godolphin when their unbeaten filly Good Cheer won the Group I Kentucky Oaks on Friday and it got even better on Saturday when record priced  €2.3million Justify colt Ruling Court landed the Group I Newmarket 2000 Guineas in the UK.
Godolphin Win Kentucky Oaks with Undefeated 'Special' Filly
They might be scaling back in Australia, but on a global basis Godolphin are making their presence felt in the big three year-old races with the Group I Kentucky Oaks on Friday won by their homebred filly Good Cheer.
Libertad Back To Winning Form in G2 Victory Stakes
It had been a while between drinks but Russian Revolution stallion Libertad found his way back to winning form in the Group II Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 3
Here is the full list of 113 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Pride of Jenni Not for Catching at Caulfield
Caulfield has been a happy hunting ground for Pride Of Jenni in recent weeks, and the reigning Australian Horse of the Year produced another spectacular front-running performance at that venue in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Tile Importer Anniversary Vase (1600m).
Femminile gives Dundeel first female G1 winner with Derby victory
Supersire Dundeel has his second G1 South Australian Derby winner and his first female G1 winner after his courageous daughter Femminile was too good for the boys at Morphettville this afternoon in the time honoured 2500m Classic.
Sires With Winners - Friday May 2
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.