Latest news with #151stRunfortheRoses
Japan Forward
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Luxor Cafe Places 12th in the Kentucky Derby; Admire Daytona is Last
In the 151st Run for the Roses, Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism took second as Sovereignty outdueled him in the final stretch. Sovereignty wins the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3, 2025. (©Michael Clevenger/USA TODAY NETWORK/via IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) Second favorite Sovereignty, guided by Junior Alvarado, outran Journalism (Umberto Rispoli), the 3-1 favorite, on the final straight on a muddy track to win the Kentucky Derby by 1½ lengths at Churchill Downs on Saturday night, May 3. The dueling thoroughbreds were neck and neck entering the stretch in a pulsating finish before 147,000-plus spectators. Kentucky Derby debutant Joao Moreira, Japanese owner Koichi Nishikawa's entrant, placed 12th aboard Luxor Cafe, a progeny of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, in the 151st Run for the Roses. Also for Japan, Admire Daytona, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, rounded out the 19-horse field in last place. He was owner Junko Kondo's first horse to compete in the American Triple Crown opener in Louisville, Kentucky. Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona, supervised by trainers Noriyuki Hori and Yukihiro Kato, respectively, were both listed at 30-1 odds on the morning of the race. Junior Alvarado reacts after winning the 151st Kentucky Derby. (Matt Stone/USA TODAY NETWORK/via IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) Following the 1-2 finish of Sovereignty and Journalism, Baeza (Flavien Prat), Final Gambit (Luan Machado), Owen Almighty (Javier Castellano) and Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr, winner of the 2024 Derby aboard Mystik Dan) completed the top six in order. ( Watch the race on YouTube. ) Winning jockey Alvarado, 38, who was appearing in the race for the sixth time called it "more than a dream come true." "I thought I had a great chance," the Venezuelan said after his first Derby victory, according to The Associated Press before adding, "I was confident the whole week." The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. (Amira Karaoud/REUTERS) Journalism had entered the high-profile race with four consecutive wins, but fell short of trainer Michael McCarthy's ultimate goal. Rispoli gave an upbeat review of his bay colt's effort. "I had a beautiful trip, I had the trip I wanted and saved ground into the first turn," Rispoli commented. "On the backside, I had a lot of horses in front of me that didn't appear to have a chance. So I knew I had enough horse still and waited for the right time. "Past the half-mile pole he started running for me. I was smoothly getting him into a rhythm. I wanted to turn for home with just a couple of horses ahead of me. That's what happened but Sovereignty was the best today." Winning trainer Bill Mott (Matt Stone/USA TODAY NETWORK/via IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) It was Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's second Derby triumph. He oversaw Country Horse's win in 2019. (Maximum Security reached the wire first but was disqualified.) "This one got there the right way," Mott was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "I mean, he's done well, he's a great horse, he comes from a great organization (Godolphin) and I can't say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and made this happen." In the 151st running of the the Kentucky Derby, the field makes its way past the grandstands for the first time. (Michael Clevenger/USA TODAY NETWORK/via IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) After placing third, Prat shared the following comments with reporters: "From the outside, I thought the pace would be a bit stronger. I wasn't able to get myself inside. I didn't like the horse I was following in the first turn. Down the backside I got a better position to try and get a breather. He made a really good run." Reacting to Luxor Cafe's performance, Brazilian jockey Moreira, who has won three Japan Racing Association Grade 1 races in 2025, acknowledged his horse didn't have an ideal start from the No 7 post position. "He didn't have the best of trips," Moreira told reporters. "[And] he didn't jump all that well and was squeezed at the start. Unfortunately he didn't perform as well as we hoped." Lemaire, making his third appearance in the Kentucky Derby, expressed disappointment after the race. "He was not comfortable on the sloppy track," Lemaire said of Admire Daytona. The French jockey then said, "He started well, got a good position but couldn't follow the pace on the backstretch. He just lost his action and motivation." The second leg of the American Triple Crown, the 150th Preakness Stakes, is scheduled for May 17 in Baltimore, Maryland. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
NBC News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC News
For Sovereignty jockey Junior Alvarado, the ride before winning the Kentucky Derby was the hardest part
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Less than two months before the Kentucky Derby, jockey Junior Alvarado was praying to god to heal him. On March 23, Alvarado was riding the horse Term at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., when his thoroughbred suffered a heart attack, sending Alvarado off his saddle. He was clipped by another horse while on the ground tending to his own, resulting in a hairline fracture in his shoulder that would sideline him for three weeks. Alvarado was heartbroken. His dream was winning the Derby, and he felt had a legitimate shot this year with his horse Sovereignty. Alvarado wasn't sure if he would ever get an opportunity like this again if he didn't return in time. 'I have a lot of faith in God,' Alvarado said Saturday about the mental challenge he faced. 'Every day since I got the injury I kept telling God, 'Please heal me, please heal me. If it's meant to be, I know you're going to put me right back in action before the Derby.'' Alvarado's prayers were answered. The jockey recovered in plenty of time for the 151st Run for the Roses — and he rode Sovereignty to victory on a muddy track Saturday at Churchill Downs. It was Alvarado's first career win in horse racing signature's event after five previous losses. Not only was Alvarado's spot on Sovereignty in jeopardy after falling in March, he also ran the risk of being replaced by a different rider. But the day after Alvarado was released from the hospital, he received a call from Sovereignty trainer Bill Mott, who assured Alvarado the horse was his to ride once he recovered. 'When Mr. Mott called me the day after I got out of the hospital, he gave me a big peace of mind,' Alvarado said. 'You don't get that in the business often. This is the nature of the business: Somebody else gets to ride the horse, he's riding good, and you get to keep him. 'But having the peace of mind and being able to do what I needed to do was something that I always will appreciate from Mr. Mott.' Alvarado kept his calm even after a second fall on Thursday, two days before the Derby, when he tumbled off Caramel Chip during the ninth race of the day. While Alvarado literally had to get himself back on the horse, Sovereignty was having a much smoother run-up to the Derby, according to Mott, even after finishing second in its most recent race under jockey Manny Franco in late March. 'I didn't have any reservations about him,' Mott said in reference to Sovereignty. 'You got to go out and run the race, but the way the horse was doing, I really couldn't have asked for anything different in the last five weeks since his last race. Everything had gone smoothly. Ordinarily to win these kinds of races, you can't have any hiccups in your training schedule or the way the horse is doing.' Mott, who previously won the 2019 Kentucky Derby with horse Country House after a disqualification, said winning with his 'regular rider' Alvarado made Saturday's result particularly special. Alvarado's journey, of course, began long before his fracture in March or even his previous Derby appearances. It began in Venezuela, where his father was a jockey. He said growing up the only race he could watch on television was the one he just won at Churchill Downs. He first told himself it would simply be nice to race in the event. Later on he wanted to win it. "Today we did that," Alvarado said. "I don't know if I'm going to be able actually to find the right words that can describe this feeling that I have right now.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sovereignty wins 151st Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado are officially the winners of the 151st Run for the Roses. Churchill Downs officials said 147,406 people witnessed the 'most exciting two minutes in sports' on the first Saturday in May. Western Kentucky pair killed in crash, 2 others hurt after driver allegedly loses control on KY-185 'Worst Tattoo Contest' underway in London: How to place your vote Life expectancy in Kentucky, other southern states barely changed from 1900 to 2000 The favorite to win the 151st run for the roses was Journalism at 7-2 odds. Ridden by jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., he was second across the wire. Woodford County officials took to social media around 7:45 p.m. Saturday to express their pride in Sovereignty and Gaineborough Farm, the home of the 151st Kentucky Derby winner. Mystik Dan won the garland of roses in 2024 by a nose in a photo finish with jockey Brian Hernandez. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NBC Sports
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
Watch Collmus call the Kentucky Derby 151 finish
Watch Larry Collmus, the voice of the Kentucky Derby, call Sovereignty's thrilling win at the 151st Run for the Roses.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Will Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Donald Trump spark chaos at the Kentucky Derby amid heated immigration debate?
The Kentucky Derby is buzzing with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leading the odds, alongside Donald Trump (Getty Images) The Kentucky Derby has always been a magnet for high society, outrageous fashion, and, increasingly, celebrity spectacle. But this year, the 151st Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs may be remembered less for the horses and more for the high-profile names potentially in attendance — with Taylor Swift , Travis Kelce , and former President Donald Trump dominating the pre-race chatter. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce top the charts with 3/1 odds of appearing together at the Kentucky Derby According to newly released celebrity attendance odds from The Action Network, all bets are on these A-listers to make a splash on Derby Day. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, the NFL power couple, top the charts with 3/1 odds of appearing together — a possibility that's already sending social media into a frenzy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Co-Founder of Google Brain, Andrew Ng, Is Reported To Have Read Every... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Kelce has his own 4/1 odds, while Swift trails slightly at 5/1 solo. Trump, never one to shy away from the spotlight, also has 3/1 odds, fueling speculation that politics and pop culture may collide at this year's event. In a statement to The Blast, The Action Network explained the stakes: 'The Derby isn't just about horses, it's become one of the year's biggest stages for cultural crossover. These odds reflect not just celebrity schedules, but calculated media moves and public appetite for spectacle.' Donald Trump's potential Derby visit sparks concern over immigration policies While a Trump appearance would be in line with his pattern of bold public gestures, it comes at a particularly sensitive time. Derby insiders and horse racing leaders are sounding alarms over the former president's aggressive deportation proposals, fearing they could dismantle the very labor force that sustains the industry. At a press conference in Louisville this week, business and racing leaders emphasized the indispensable role of immigrant workers — from hot walkers to groomers — in keeping the sport running smoothly. 'From hot walkers to exercise riders, groomers, and farriers, skilled immigrant workers are the backbone of the horse racing industry ,' said Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition. 'Their contributions help generate $177 billion for the American economy and are crucial to the Kentucky Derby's success every year, but the immigration system is failing them.' Dale Romans, president of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, didn't mince words either: 'Horses can't get on the track without the right workers behind them. Seventy-eight percent of backstretch workers are immigrants; the industry cannot survive without them.' Also Read: Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce skipping the 2025 Met Gala to avoid the spotlight—or to hide deeper issues in their relationship? As the spotlight shifts from the stables to the grandstands, the question looms: Will the celebrity appearances overshadow the horses — or will politics upstage them all?
