By: Phoebe Dichter
We have now officially passed 7 pm on the first Saturday of May for 2025! Anyone who is big in sports knows how important this day of the year is; It’s Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs. It is arguably the biggest horse race in the world, and is definitely America’s top.
The best-known horse racing icons have crossed the Derby gates: Whirlaway, Seattle Slew, and the legend himself, Secretariat. He was in every single 2025 runner’s pedigree. But can he go off to win the Triple Crown by dominating the Preakness and Belmont Stakes?
Our winner was no underdog, but he was easily passed over in the betting pools. Prior to the big race, the media focused mostly on Publisher (30-1), Luxor Cafe (15-1), and American Promise (20-1): The sons of triple crown winners American Pharoah and Justify. These two stallions came from the same training team and won the rare crown title just three years apart. For reference, American Pharoah broke a 37-year dry spell after winning in 2015. It was believed that the sons of these horses would put up a great fight against each other. They certainly held their own in the derby, but none were among the top five.
Another common name in the media was Sandman, with 6- 1 odds before the race. He was all over TikTok prior to the derby, and racing fans were loving it.
The fan favorite, with high odds of 3-1, was a horse named Journalism with an inspiring story. He is a California-raised horse who, along with his owner, Matthew McCarthy, escaped a raging wildfire in January.
All of these horses had their names out there, but none of them were the first to cross the finish line.
The winner was Sovereignty, owned and bred by Godolphin Stables in the UK, trained by William Mott, and ridden by Junior Alvarado.
He is a son of Into Mischief, a leading sire in today’s racehorse world. Sovereignty is his second Kentucky Derby-winning son after Authentic’s victory in 2020. Though he had high odds of 7-1, many people overlooked the colt in the betting pools. Betters focused on the sons of the Triple Crown. This group of horses was heavily covered by journalists and social media creators, making other talented horses seem like nothing more than a second thought.
Sovereignty’s derby story proves that the most famous horse is not always the winner. After his win, Sovereignty is getting his well-deserved internet attention. It was recently announced that he will not run in the Preakness Stakes, meaning there will be no Triple Crown winner this year. Not to worry, though; many fan favorites will be out on that track. Look out for Sandman and Journalism, they have a good shot at redemption!
Horse racing is always an enjoyable sport to watch, regardless of whether the horse you were rooting for takes home the trophy. With elegant derby hats, live coverage, and immense anticipation leading up to big races, the buzz around race tracks is well earned!