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"Kentucky Derby 2025 Recap: Sovereignty Noses Out Journalism in Thrilling Triple Crown Opener"

Update News Today May 3,2025,9:20 pm

Churchill Downs delivered a heart-pounding spectacle on Saturday as Sovereignty, a three-year-old bay colt with a lightning turn of foot, edged out rival Journalism by the slimmest of margins to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby.

Under clear skies and before a roaring crowd of over 150,000, Sovereignty, trained by veteran conditioner Carla Mendoza and ridden masterfully by jockey Luis Ortiz, surged ahead in the final strides to capture the first jewel of the coveted Triple Crown. The official winning time was 2:01.58 over the 1¼-mile course.

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Journalism, the heavily favored grey colt trained by Todd Pletcher, led much of the race after breaking cleanly from the gate. The duel intensified at the top of the stretch as Sovereignty, running third for much of the backstretch, launched a bold outside move. The two locked in battle for the final furlong, with the photo finish showing Sovereignty's nose just inches ahead.

“This horse has heart like you wouldn’t believe,” Ortiz said in the winner’s circle. “He saw that other colt and just dug in. He refused to lose.”

Rounding out the top three was Iron Thunder, a 30-1 longshot who made a strong late charge but came up just short of catching the leaders.

With the win, Sovereignty remains unbeaten in four starts and now eyes the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore as the next test in the Triple Crown series. While the Derby is often a wild card, Saturday’s performance proved Sovereignty is more than hype — he’s a horse with grit, speed, and the will to win.

The road to racing immortality continues — and Sovereignty has taken the first, thrilling step.