Sports
Sovereignty surges past race favorite Journalism to win the 151st Kentucky Derby
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 Derby by 1½ lengths Saturday.
Sovereignty came to this spot by finishing second in the Florida Derby. But this time he had to navigate the 19-horse field to win on a cold and drizzly day before 147,406 at Churchill Downs.
Journalism, the 7-2 favorite, got crowded and shuffled back at the start of the race but going around the far turn, jockey Umberto Rispoli got him to start picking off horses. Sovereignty was following right behind him. When the horses hit the top of the stretch, it was clear it was down to the two horses.
Sovereignty finishes ahead of Journalism to win the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
The start of the race was very crowded on the inside. Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old Eclipse champion, went into the lead and moved toward the center of the track. The first half mile of the 1 ¼-mile race was run in a fast but not brutal 46.23 seconds. By the end, all that was left were the closers as most of the early speed faded out.
Baeza, who entered the race on Thursday after Rodriguez scratched out, finished a strong third. The rest of the field, in order was Final Gambit, Owen Almighty, Burnham Square, Sandman, East Avenue, Chunk of Gold, Tiztastic, Coal Battle, Luxor Café, Neoequos, Publisher, Citizen Bull, American Promise, Render Judgment, Flying Mohawk and Admire Daytona.
Sovereignty paid $17.96 to win.
“He made up a lot of ground in a hurry,” Mott said. “This one got here the right way. I mean, he’s done well, he’s a great horse. He comes to us from a great organization (Godolphin) and I can’t say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and did everything to make this happen.”
The winning rider was Junior Alvarado. It was his first Kentucky Derby win.
Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, crosses the finish line to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
This marked the return of Bob Baffert to Churchill Downs after the track banned him from racing for three years. The move was made after Medina Spirit tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day. It led to a series of court fights in which Churchill Downs prevailed.
Baffert brought two horses to run in the Derby, Citizen Bull and Rodriguez. However, Rodriguez was scratched Thursday when he had sensitivity in one of his hooves. The injury was not considered serious and he is now pointed to run in the Preakness Stakes in two weeks.
Rodriguez won the Wood Memorial a month ago at Aqueduct. Second in that race was Grande, who scratched Friday morning. The horse had been battling a slightly cracked heel but the X-rays were clean. It prompted an angry response from owner Mike Repole.
“With all the diagnostics we have taken, the great vets we use, and the experience of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we are baffled and confused by what criteria vets are using to determine who scratches, who doesn’t and when … especially when every diagnostic tells us the horse is safe and sound,” Repole posted on X.
Through the years, Repole has had three horses scratch from the Derby.
Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, center, crosses the finish line to win the Kentucky Derby.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
The scratch of Rodriguez allowed Baeza, second in the Santa Anita Derby to Journalism, in the field. The horse came to Churchill Downs without a guaranteed spot in the race. Because the scratch came after the draw, Baeza had to start in the farthest outside post.
This year’s Derby did not have the buzz of last year’s, the 150th running of the race. And the wet weather also dampened the enthusiasm of some fans, many of whom moved to covered areas. Plastic ponchos were the favored attire on the day.
Derby Day has the best undercard of any day exclusive of the Breeders’ Cup. Among the highlights:
- Mindframe ($9.08 to win) won the $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes, a seven furlong race. It marked the return of Nysos, who hadn’t raced in 15 months. He was Baffert’s “A” horse for last year’s Derby until he was injured. He hasn’t raced list the Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. Nysos and Banishing finished in a dead heat for second. There were four horses across the finish line within a length of each other.
- Macho Music ($29.86) pulled an upset in winning the $600,000 Pat Day Mile. Normally when a 13-1 goes to the lead early, they back up at the end. But not Macho Music. Baffert finished second and third with Madaket Road and Gaming. “I thought the winner was going to come back a little bit but he never did,” said Irad Ortiz Jr., Madaket Road’s jockey. Madaket Road had enough points to qualify for the Derby but Baffert thought the distance of the Derby might have been too much.
- Trainer Richard Mandella doesn‘t ship often to Churchill Downs, but when he does he means business. He proved it again when Kopion ($7.48) won the $1 million Derby City Distaff. Kopion is a daughter of Omaha Beach, who Mandella brought to the Derby as the favorite in 2019. The horse had to scratch. Baffert’s Hope Road finished second making it a Southern California exacta.
Sports
Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU
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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.
Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.
When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.
Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”
Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.
“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”
Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.
“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.
Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.
Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.
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Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.
The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.
One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.
He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.
As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.
The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal.
Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.
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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.
There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.
It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.
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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.
Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.
Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.
Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.
Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.
Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.
Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.
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