5/4/25 - Sovereignty Wins Kentucky Derby; Ruling Court Takes 2000 Guineas

After more than 24 hours of rain and storms, and over a sealed sloppy track, SOVEREIGNTY (Into Mischief) proved best over 18 other three-year-olds to win the 151st Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 3. The mud-coated colt led four other Seattle Slew descendants across the wire in a grand finish under the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs.

Sovereignty raced near the back for the first six furlongs before making his move to track Journalism, who was in mid-pack before going wide to start his run into the final turn. The two bay colts gained control of the Derby five and six wide and pulled away from the field down the stretch with Sovereignty outside of Journalism for the battle. The Run for the Roses was to be Sovereignty's shining moment as he slowly increased his lead over Journalism to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Journalism was second with a furiously closing Beaza a neck back in third. Final Gambit, who brought up the rear of the field early on, also closed strongly to come in fourth, 2 1/2 lengths behind Beaza. It was 4 3/4 lengths back to Owen Almighty, who pushed the pace for most of the race, in fifth.

Sovereignty was bred in Kentucky by his owner Godolphin and is out of the Bernardini (A.P. Indy) mare Crowned. In addition, Sovereignty's third dam is stakes winner Sluice, who is out of four-time Grade 1 winner Lakeway (Seattle Slew). He is trained by Bill Mott and was piloted by regular rider Junior Alvarado. In addition to the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) in March and the 2024 Street Sense Stakes (G3). The Slew Crew congratulates Sovereignty and all his connections on a great win. We wish you continued success.

The next four finishers also boast Seattle Slew blood. Favored Journalism, who was squeezed after the start and jostled between horses past the stands for the first time, descends from Slew through his second dam Peppy Rafaela (Bernardini). Third-place finisher Baeza is by McKinzie, whose second dam is Ticket to Houston, a daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Houston (Seattle Slew). Final Gambit, who finished fourth, is out of the Tapit (Pulpit) mare Pachinko. Owen Almighty, the fifth-placed finisher, is out of the Bayern (Offlee Wild) mare Tempers Rising; Offlee Wild is out of the Seattle Slew mare Alvear.

Earlier in the day and across the Atlantic, Godolphin-owned Ruling Court (Justify) captured the Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket. Bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place, Manfuso & Wilhite, Ruling Court was ridden to victory by William Buick and is trained by Charlie Appleby. The second dam of the winner's sire, Triple Crown winner Justify, is Grade 1-placed Magical Illusion (Pulpit). The Slew Crew congratulates Ruling Court and his connections on the victory in the first British Classic of 2025.


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