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 Alvarado’s right shoulder was being caused by a fractured shoulder blade.

Suffice to say, that was less than ideal for a jockey who was slated to ride one of the best 3-year-old colts in the country, Sovereignty, six days later in the Florida Derby — with the possibility that horse would be one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.

“It was heartbreaking,” Alvarado said. “But I have a lot of faith in God. Every day, I kept asking God, ‘Please heal me. Please heal me.’ I just knew, if it is meant to be, I will get back for the Derby.”

As it turns out, it was meant to be.

With Alvarado turning in a ride that was both patient and bold, a hard-charging Sovereignty hooked and then passed the favored Journalism in the high stretch then went on to win the 151st Kentucky Derby by one-and-a-half lengths in a time of 2:02.31 before a rain-drenched crowd of 147,406 at Churchill Downs.

For Alvarado, a 38-year-old native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, the Kentucky Derby win came in his sixth try in the race. It continued a run of recent success in big races that has included winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile in back-to-back years (2022 and 2023) on Cody’s Wish and winning the $20 million Saudi Cup in 2024 on Senor Buscador.

Yet, growing up in Venezuela with a father who was a jockey, Alvarado said the Kentucky Derby was the race that captured his youthful imagination.

“Where I grew up, we didn’t get a lot of races on TV. The one we did get was the Kentucky Derby,” Alvarado said. “I would think ‘Maybe if I could get to the U.S., I could ride in the Kentucky Derby.’ And here I am.”

Alvarado said the only worrisome moment for him in the 151st Kentucky Derby came during the cavalry charge out of the starting gate when Sovereignty was “clipped” by a competitor.

Once he determined Sovereignty was unharmed, Alvarado guided the horse toward the inside. By the first turn, Sovereignty was tucked safely along the rail.

According to Sovereignty trainer Bill Mott, that may have been where the Derby was won.

“I think Junior and I both agree, you don’t win Grade I races running four, five wide in both turns,” Mott said.

As the race neared the far turn, Umberto Rispoli asked the favored Journalism to move. As Journalism moved toward the lead, Alvarado had Sovereignty go with him.

“When we hit the five-eighths pole, (Sovereignty) said he was ready,” Alvarado said. “I didn’t want to get too excited. When we turned for home, I got him in the clear — and he showed his stuff.”

When the race turned for home, Journalism was in the lead — but a stalking Sovereignty, running five out from the rail — was bearing down.

Apparently, the least surprised person at Churchill Downs that Sovereignty was about to run down and pass Journalism was Alvarado.

“I knew what he was capable of,” Alvarado said.

The Derby win for the Alvarado/Mott tandem was especially sweet because the jockey and trainer have a long connection, including teaming up with Cody’s Wish, the 2023 Horse of the Year.

“My regular rider (is) Junior Alvarado,” Mott said. “I think that makes (winning the Derby together) special. Special for both of us.”

Just to add a little extra drama to the pre-Derby run-up for Alavarado, the jockey was thrown from his horse in Thursday’s ninth race at Churchill Downs. Caramel Chip stumbled out of the starting gate, spilling Alvarado.

This time, the jockey was unhurt.

After he was injured in March at Gulfstream Park, Alvarado was sidelined from riding for some three weeks.

With Manny Franco riding in Alvarado’s place, Sovereignty was beaten one-and-a-half lengths by Tappan Street in the Florida Derby.

Prior to that, Alvarado had ridden Sovereignty in all four of his prior career races.

The day after he got out of the hospital following the Gulfstream fall, Alvarado said he got a call from Mott that made him feel good about his chances of making it back to ride Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby.

“That doesn’t happen a lot in this industry,” Alvarado said. “When Mr. Mott called and just said, ‘Do what you need to do,’ that really made me feel good.”

On a sloppy Churchill Downs track in North American thoroughbred racing’s marquee race, Alvarado paid back Mott and Sovereignty’s connections for sticking with him.

Said Alvarado: “I can’t come up with the word to describe how much this means.”

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