Sovereignty owner, trainer reveal whether Kentucky Derby winner will run Preakness Stakes

In a thrilling race at Churchill Downs on Saturday afternoon, Sovereignty came away with the win at the Kentucky Derby. He fended off Journalism down an exciting final stretch to complete the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Now, the natural question is whether Sovereignty will look to finish the second leg at the Preakness Stakes on May 17. His owner and trainer weren’t ready to make a decision after the race, but said it would be under consideration.

Owner Michael Banahan said he deferred to trainer Bill Mott, who got his second Kentucky Derby win on Saturday with Sovereignty’s victory. However, he admitted he’s interested in returning to the Preakness and trying to build on the momentum created by Saturday’s Derby win.

“We’ll see how he comes out of the race,” Banahan said on the NBC post-race broadcast. “We’ll see what the Hall of Fame trainer wants to do with him. But if he’s coming out of it, it’d be the logical place to go.

“We’d love to try and go back and win the Preakness. … It’d be nice to get back there to try to do it again.”

Mott echoed a similar sentiment. He said there’s likely going to be a conversation about the Preakness, although he noted the impact a Kentucky Derby win had on those prospects. If Sovereignty didn’t win, he pointed out there wouldn’t be an “obligation” to run again in two weeks.

However, the two sides will meet to discuss the next race in the Triple Crown. Mott said it will be a “joint decision” either way.

“I think we’ve got to talk about it,” Mott said. “The pressure is on now to go. Had he not won, maybe you wouldn’t feel obligated to do it. But we’ll talk with the team and I think we’ll make a joint decision and try to do the right thing.”

Mott’s first Kentucky Derby win came in 2019 when Country House got the victory after Maximum Security’s disqualification. This time, his horse clearly finished in first place – knocking off the favorite thanks to an impressive close down the final stretch to win the biggest event in horse racing.

It was a muddy track at Churchill Downs, meaning this year’s Kentucky Derby would include the first sloppy track since 2019. That added to the intrigue around the race, which saw Journalism enter as the favorite after three consecutive victories.

Ultimately, Sovereignty came away as the winner of the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. Journalism finished second after making a run down the stretch, followed by Baeza – fresh into the field – and Final Gambit.