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Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

John Clay: Godolphin wins its first Kentucky Derby, with a little help from Seattle Slew

Sports / Horse Racing /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Twelve times Godolphin had attempted to win the Kentucky Derby.

Twelve times Goldophin had failed.

But it wasn’t just the lucky 13 that propelled the global racing outfit to its first Kentucky Derby victory on Saturday when the Godolphin homebred Sovereignty won the 151st running by 1 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track over ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Sovereignty surges past race favorite Journalism to win the 151st Kentucky Derby

Sports / Horse Racing /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bill Mott is in the Hall of Fame. He won the Kentucky Derby in 2019, but it was by disqualification. The trainer never got to see his horse cross the finish line first. Until now.

In an exciting stretch run Sovereignty and Journalism battled until the final strides when Sovereignty pulled ahead to win the 151st Kentucky ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

John Clay: Sovereignty goes beyond a trainer's wildest dreams by winning Kentucky Derby 151

Sports / Horse Racing /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Back in 1967, Bill Mott was a 14-year-old boy sitting on the front seat of a GMC pickup truck in South Dakota listening to Proud Clarion with Bobby Ussery aboard win the Kentucky Derby.

“At that time I would never dreamed that I would come to Kentucky. I couldn’t even imagine being at Churchill Downs,” Mott said ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Mark Story: Junior Alvarado, the indestructible jockey, puts his name into Kentucky Derby lore

Sports / Horse Racing /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On March 23, Junior Alvarado was riding a horse named Term in the 10th race at Florida’s Gulfstream Park when things went horribly awry.

As the race was running, Term suffered a heart attack. The horse dropped to the track, dead.

Alvarado was dislodged and fell to the ground himself.

It turned out, the throbbing pain in ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Who is Sovereignty? Meet the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner with these fast facts.

Sports / Horse Racing /

Sovereignty has won the 151st Kentucky Derby, beating the favorite Journalism on a sloppy track soaked with rain at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Venezuelan jockey Junior Alvarado, 38, described the win as a “dream come true” that “meant the world to me.”

“I thought I had a great chance,” said Alvarado, thanking Sovereignty’...Read more

Kristy Sparow/Getty Images North America/TNS

Why NBC announcer Mike Tirico unexpectedly exited the Kentucky Derby broadcast

Sports / Horse Racing /

A nut allergy forced NBC Sports announcer Mike Tirico to make an unexpected exit from the Kentucky Derby broadcast Saturday afternoon.

Tirico had been off the air for a while Saturday afternoon because of an unexplained illness, but as post time drew nearer, NBC mentioned that Tirico was experiencing an allergic reaction and would not be back ...Read more

Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Sovereignty wins 2025 Kentucky Derby for Bill Mott at Churchill Downs

Sports / Horse Racing /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sovereignty won the 151st edition of the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby on Saturday night in Louisville, besting a field of 19 horses beneath the Twin Spires on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty went off at 7-1 odds.

The Churchill Downs main track was ...Read more

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It's rain and clouds for the 151st Kentucky Derby. Will this year be the soggiest?

Sports / Horse Racing /

A cloudy sky and cover of rainfall may dampen Saturday’s 151st Kentucky Derby, but it’s unlikely to break precipitation records.

Light to moderate rain was falling across Louisville, Ky., much of Saturday morning, with the temperature around a moderate 58 degrees Fahrenheit as of 11 a.m. ET. As of noon Saturday, Louisville had seen a total ...Read more

Alex Slitz/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Mystik Dan, last year's Derby winner, seeks first victory since at Oaklawn Park

Sports / Horse Racing /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Last year’s Kentucky Derby champion will once again be racing on the first Saturday in May — but a long way from Churchill Downs.

The 2024 champion will run in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for horses aged 4 and older at Oaklawn Park, in hopes of his first victory since the three-horse photo finish...Read more

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What states can bet on the 2025 Kentucky Derby? Here's an online wagering guide.

Sports / Horse Racing /

The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is this weekend, and even if you’re not planning on attending in person in Louisville, you may still want to get in on the action.

The Run for the Roses is Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs. While some people may be planning on making the trip, many will also be betting on the race from afar.

Placing ...Read more

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There are 20 living Kentucky Derby winners. Here's where they all are now.

Sports / Horse Racing /

A club of 20 star horses awaits the winner of the 151st Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Those are the living winners of the Run for the Roses, led by 31-year old Silver Charm. Many of them are located in Central Kentucky, including three retired from their stud careers to Old Friends Farm in Georgetown.

The club lost one member in the last year ...Read more

Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Perfection! Good Cheer wins 151st Kentucky Oaks for Brad Cox at Churchill Downs.

Sports / Horse Racing /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Good Cheer merged from a field of 13 3-year-old fillies to win the 151st edition of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks on Friday evening at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Louisville native Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, Good Cheer covered 1 1/8 miles on a sloppy main track at Churchill in a winning time of 1:50.15.

Good...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Looking for a Kentucky Derby long shot? Here are your best bets to win big money.

Sports / Horse Racing /

Journalism will be tough to beat. Sandman has legitimate star power. Sovereignty could very well be wearing the roses by the end of the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Saturday night.

But recent history indicates a major long shot might be the horse getting all of the attention after the 151st edition of the race is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville,...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Japan is close to producing its first Kentucky Derby winner. Is this the year?

Sports / Horse Racing /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two sons of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will be in the starting gate for Saturday’s 151st running of the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby.

The path to one of them being set to contest this year’s Run for the Roses has been anything but ordinary.

The horse in question is Luxor Cafe, who will start Saturday...Read more

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What's the best post position to have in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Sports / Horse Racing /

The post positions are set for this year’s 151st running of the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby on Saturday night at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Now, it’s time to analyze which horses got a good draw, and who got a bad one, ahead of this year’s Run for the Roses.

Journalism — the 3-1 morning line favorite for this year’s ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

2025 Kentucky Derby betting lingo guide: Key terms to know & how to place a bet

Sports / Horse Racing /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Between exacta bets, superfectas and boxing, there’s a dizzying array of Kentucky Derby terms to wrap your head around.

Whether you’re headed to a racetrack or just want to place a bet from your home watch party, here’s a quick primer on key betting terms to get you started ahead of the 151st Kentucky Derby Saturday, ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Kentucky Derby 151 sees second scratch, dropping field to 19 for Saturday's race

Sports / Horse Racing /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mike Repole’s Grande has scratched from Kentucky Derby 151 because of a foot bruise, trainer Todd Pletcher announced Friday morning.

Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez scratched Thursday evening, allowing Baeza to enter the field from his “also-eligible” spot. The scratch of Grande, who finished second in the Wood Memorial...Read more

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Linda Blackford: How did every horse in the 2025 Kentucky Derby get its name?

Sports / Horse Racing /

Nearly every year since 2010, I have written a story about how all the horses in the Kentucky Derby get their names, and you can probably guess which one will lead my lineup in 2025.

That’s right ... Journalism. In a landscape of shrinking newsrooms, misinformation, threats and lawsuits, it’s a thrill to see a horse named by someone who ...Read more

Alex Slitz/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

The 2025 Kentucky Derby field includes the sons of two Triple Crown winners

Sports / Horse Racing /

Several of the horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field have famous sires.

Among the contenders are the sons of two Triple Crown winners, one other Derby victor and the most prolific sire of the last decade. Stellar bloodlines alone are not a guarantee of Derby success, but they certainly are a point in the favor of a horse when making your bets...Read more

Alex Slitz/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Meet the jockeys in Kentucky Derby 151, from past winners to first-time riders

Sports / Horse Racing /

The roster of jockeys slated to ride in the 151st Kentucky Derby represents both extremes on the experience scale.

Five jockeys — Javier Castellano, Brian Hernandez Jr., Flavien Prat, Joel Rosario and John Velazquez — who have already won the Run for the Roses will seek to do so again Saturday.

Meanwhile, ranging in age from 25 (Joseph ...Read more