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Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
No Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in Preakness highlights some philosophical horse racing changes
Just a few days after winning the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty was ruled out of running in the Preakness Stakes. It is the second time in four years the owner and trainer of the Derby champion opted to skip the Preakness in favor of the Belmont Stakes in June. Rich Strike also bypassed the Preakness in 2022 after winning at Churchill Downs at odds of 80-1. Country House did not run in 2019 because of illness after getting elevated to Derby winner when Maximum Security was disqualified for interference, the races were run out of order in 2020 and Medina Spirit ran and finished third in the 2021 Preakness after being DQed from his first-place finish in the Derby for a positive drug test. That means this is the fifth time in seven years that the Preakness gates open at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore without even a chance at a Triple Crown. That was only the case once in the previous 33 years from to 1986-2018, and that happened because a horse was retired because of injury after taking the Run for the Roses. Why is this happening? Horse racing has changed from its heyday, when stars of the sport like War Admiral, Secretariat and Seattle Slew were used to running every couple of weeks. Breeding, money and other factors have changed that, and the top 3-year-old horses eligible for the Triple Crown race far less often, with bigger stretches in between. 'Most trainers hate running their horses back in two weeks,' NBC Sports analyst Randy Moss said. 'They feel like it's bad for the horses.' Beginning in the early 21st century, many of the Derby horses who finish between second and 20th started getting more rest to wait five weeks for the Belmont. It was essentially automatic that the Derby winner would go, though not anymore. 'The trainers of Derby winners that do run back in the Preakness do it out of a sense of tradition — not because they like it,' Moss said. Sovereignty's Bill Mott made that clear the morning after his horse passed Journalism down the stretch in the mud at Churchill Downs with a record audience watching , casting doubt on the Preakness. 'We want to do what's best for the horse,' Mott told reporters in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday. 'Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and that's not something we're not going to think about.' Does something need to change? The debate has been raging for decades about horses not being able to handle the grind of three premier races over a span of five weeks. That was primarily because no one swept the Triple Crown between Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015 , a 37-year drought that made industry stakeholders question tradition versus modern-day changes. Justify doing it in 2018 to give the sport a pair of Triple Crown champions in four years quieted that talk. The recent uncertainty about Derby winners going to the Preakness reignited the chatter. Prominent owner Mike Repole shared a proposal on social media Tuesday that would move the Belmont up to second in the rotation and shift the Preakness back to provide more spacing. Others have suggested moving the Preakness back to the first Saturday in June and the Belmont to the first Saturday in July. What is the solution? No one really knows. And does there need to be seismic change like the pitch clock in baseball? Maybe, maybe not. After all, the previous two Derby winners — Mystik Dan last year and Mage in 2023 — wheeled back after two weeks to finish in the money at the Preakness. They didn't win, but their trainers wanted to give it a shot. And Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah and Justify completing the Triple Crown showed it was possible. 'We'll see Triple Crown winners because there will occasionally be horses like American Pharoah and like Justify who are good enough to blow up any of the current thoughts about spacing,' Moss said. And trainers who aren't worried about it. Baffert and 89-year-old fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas have shown a willingness to go for it after winning the Derby — and even when they don't. Lukas intends to run American Promise in the Preakness after a 16th place finish in Kentucky. Others have chosen to play it more safe, which, if that becomes the trend, puts the future of the Preakness in peril. ___ AP horse racing:
Fox Sports
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
No Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in Preakness highlights some philosophical horse racing changes
Associated Press Just a few days after winning the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty was ruled out of running in the Preakness Stakes. It is the second time in four years the owner and trainer of the Derby champion opted to skip the Preakness in favor of the Belmont Stakes in June. Rich Strike also bypassed the Preakness in 2022 after winning at Churchill Downs at odds of 80-1. Country House did not run in 2019 because of illness after getting elevated to Derby winner when Maximum Security was disqualified for interference, the races were run out of order in 2020 and Medina Spirit ran and finished third in the 2021 Preakness after being DQed from his first-place finish in the Derby for a positive drug test. That means this is the fifth time in seven years that the Preakness gates open at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore without even a chance at a Triple Crown. That was only the case once in the previous 33 years from to 1986-2018, and that happened because a horse was retired because of injury after taking the Run for the Roses. Why is this happening? Horse racing has changed from its heyday, when stars of the sport like War Admiral, Secretariat and Seattle Slew were used to running every couple of weeks. Breeding, money and other factors have changed that, and the top 3-year-old horses eligible for the Triple Crown race far less often, with bigger stretches in between. 'Most trainers hate running their horses back in two weeks,' NBC Sports analyst Randy Moss said. 'They feel like it's bad for the horses.' Beginning in the early 21st century, many of the Derby horses who finish between second and 20th started getting more rest to wait five weeks for the Belmont. It was essentially automatic that the Derby winner would go, though not anymore. 'The trainers of Derby winners that do run back in the Preakness do it out of a sense of tradition — not because they like it,' Moss said. Sovereignty's Bill Mott made that clear the morning after his horse passed Journalism down the stretch in the mud at Churchill Downs with a record audience watching, casting doubt on the Preakness. 'We want to do what's best for the horse,' Mott told reporters in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday. 'Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and that's not something we're not going to think about.' Does something need to change? The debate has been raging for decades about horses not being able to handle the grind of three premier races over a span of five weeks. That was primarily because no one swept the Triple Crown between Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015, a 37-year drought that made industry stakeholders question tradition versus modern-day changes. Justify doing it in 2018 to give the sport a pair of Triple Crown champions in four years quieted that talk. The recent uncertainty about Derby winners going to the Preakness reignited the chatter. Prominent owner Mike Repole shared a proposal on social media Tuesday that would move the Belmont up to second in the rotation and shift the Preakness back to provide more spacing. Others have suggested moving the Preakness back to the first Saturday in June and the Belmont to the first Saturday in July. What is the solution? No one really knows. And does there need to be seismic change like the pitch clock in baseball? Maybe, maybe not. After all, the previous two Derby winners — Mystik Dan last year and Mage in 2023 — wheeled back after two weeks to finish in the money at the Preakness. They didn't win, but their trainers wanted to give it a shot. And Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah and Justify completing the Triple Crown showed it was possible. 'We'll see Triple Crown winners because there will occasionally be horses like American Pharoah and like Justify who are good enough to blow up any of the current thoughts about spacing,' Moss said. And trainers who aren't worried about it. Baffert and 89-year-old fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas have shown a willingness to go for it after winning the Derby — and even when they don't. Lukas intends to run American Promise in the Preakness after a 16th place finish in Kentucky. Others have chosen to play it more safe, which, if that becomes the trend, puts the future of the Preakness in peril. ___ AP horse racing: recommended in this topic
San Francisco Chronicle
07-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
No Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in Preakness highlights some philosophical horse racing changes
Just a few days after winning the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty was ruled out of running in the Preakness Stakes. It is the second time in four years the owner and trainer of the Derby champion opted to skip the Preakness in favor of the Belmont Stakes in June. Rich Strike also bypassed the Preakness in 2022 after winning at Churchill Downs at odds of 80-1. Country House did not run in 2019 because of illness after getting elevated to Derby winner when Maximum Security was disqualified for interference, the races were run out of order in 2020 and Medina Spirit ran and finished third in the 2021 Preakness after being DQed from his first-place finish in the Derby for a positive drug test. That means this is the fifth time in seven years that the Preakness gates open at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore without even a chance at a Triple Crown. That was only the case once in the previous 33 years from to 1986-2018, and that happened because a horse was retired because of injury after taking the Run for the Roses. Why is this happening? Horse racing has changed from its heyday, when stars of the sport like War Admiral, Secretariat and Seattle Slew were used to running every couple of weeks. Breeding, money and other factors have changed that, and the top 3-year-old horses eligible for the Triple Crown race far less often, with bigger stretches in between. 'Most trainers hate running their horses back in two weeks,' NBC Sports analyst Randy Moss said. 'They feel like it's bad for the horses.' Beginning in the early 21st century, many of the Derby horses who finish between second and 20th started getting more rest to wait five weeks for the Belmont. It was essentially automatic that the Derby winner would go, though not anymore. 'The trainers of Derby winners that do run back in the Preakness do it out of a sense of tradition — not because they like it,' Moss said. Sovereignty's Bill Mott made that clear the morning after his horse passed Journalism down the stretch in the mud at Churchill Downs with a record audience watching, casting doubt on the Preakness. 'We want to do what's best for the horse,' Mott told reporters in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday. 'Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and that's not something we're not going to think about.' Does something need to change? The debate has been raging for decades about horses not being able to handle the grind of three premier races over a span of five weeks. That was primarily because no one swept the Triple Crown between Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015, a 37-year drought that made industry stakeholders question tradition versus modern-day changes. Justify doing it in 2018 to give the sport a pair of Triple Crown champions in four years quieted that talk. The recent uncertainty about Derby winners going to the Preakness reignited the chatter. Prominent owner Mike Repole shared a proposal on social media Tuesday that would move the Belmont up to second in the rotation and shift the Preakness back to provide more spacing. Others have suggested moving the Preakness back to the first Saturday in June and the Belmont to the first Saturday in July. What is the solution? No one really knows. And does there need to be seismic change like the pitch clock in baseball? Maybe, maybe not. After all, the previous two Derby winners — Mystik Dan last year and Mage in 2023 — wheeled back after two weeks to finish in the money at the Preakness. They didn't win, but their trainers wanted to give it a shot. And Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah and Justify completing the Triple Crown showed it was possible. 'We'll see Triple Crown winners because there will occasionally be horses like American Pharoah and like Justify who are good enough to blow up any of the current thoughts about spacing,' Moss said. And trainers who aren't worried about it. Baffert and 89-year-old fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas have shown a willingness to go for it after winning the Derby — and even when they don't. Lukas intends to run American Promise in the Preakness after a 16th place finish in Kentucky. ___
Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
No Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in Preakness highlights some philosophical horse racing changes
Just a few days after winning the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty was ruled out of running in the Preakness Stakes. It is the second time in four years the owner and trainer of the Derby champion opted to skip the Preakness in favor of the Belmont Stakes in June. Rich Strike also bypassed the Preakness in 2022 after winning at Churchill Downs at odds of 80-1. Country House did not run in 2019 because of illness after getting elevated to Derby winner when Maximum Security was disqualified for interference, the races were run out of order in 2020 and Medina Spirit ran and finished third in the 2021 Preakness after being DQed from his first-place finish in the Derby for a positive drug test. Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, left, crosses the finish line to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) That means this is the fifth time in seven years that the Preakness gates open at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore without even a chance at a Triple Crown. That was only the case once in the previous 33 years from to 1986-2018, and that happened because a horse was retired because of injury after taking the Run for the Roses. Why is this happening? Horse racing has changed from its heyday, when stars of the sport like War Admiral, Secretariat and Seattle Slew were used to running every couple of weeks. Breeding, money and other factors have changed that, and the top 3-year-old horses eligible for the Triple Crown race far less often, with bigger stretches in between. 'Most trainers hate running their horses back in two weeks,' NBC Sports analyst Randy Moss said. 'They feel like it's bad for the horses.' Beginning in the early 21st century, many of the Derby horses who finish between second and 20th started getting more rest to wait five weeks for the Belmont. It was essentially automatic that the Derby winner would go, though not anymore. 'The trainers of Derby winners that do run back in the Preakness do it out of a sense of tradition — not because they like it,' Moss said. Sovereignty's Bill Mott made that clear the morning after his horse passed Journalism down the stretch in the mud at Churchill Downs with a record audience watching, casting doubt on the Preakness. 'We want to do what's best for the horse,' Mott told reporters in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday. 'Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and that's not something we're not going to think about.' Does something need to change? The debate has been raging for decades about horses not being able to handle the grind of three premier races over a span of five weeks. That was primarily because no one swept the Triple Crown between Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015, a 37-year drought that made industry stakeholders question tradition versus modern-day changes. Justify doing it in 2018 to give the sport a pair of Triple Crown champions in four years quieted that talk. The recent uncertainty about Derby winners going to the Preakness reignited the chatter. Prominent owner Mike Repole shared a proposal on social media Tuesday that would move the Belmont up to second in the rotation and shift the Preakness back to provide more spacing. Others have suggested moving the Preakness back to the first Saturday in June and the Belmont to the first Saturday in July. What is the solution? No one really knows. And does there need to be seismic change like the pitch clock in baseball? Maybe, maybe not. After all, the previous two Derby winners — Mystik Dan last year and Mage in 2023 — wheeled back after two weeks to finish in the money at the Preakness. They didn't win, but their trainers wanted to give it a shot. And Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah and Justify completing the Triple Crown showed it was possible. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up 'We'll see Triple Crown winners because there will occasionally be horses like American Pharoah and like Justify who are good enough to blow up any of the current thoughts about spacing,' Moss said. And trainers who aren't worried about it. Baffert and 89-year-old fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas have shown a willingness to go for it after winning the Derby — and even when they don't. Lukas intends to run American Promise in the Preakness after a 16th place finish in Kentucky. Others have chosen to play it more safe, which, if that becomes the trend, puts the future of the Preakness in peril. ___ AP horse racing:
Gulf Today
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Sovereignty gives Sheikh Mohammed historic first Kentucky Derby victory
Sovereignty powered through the final turn and out-duelled favourite Journalism in the final straight to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, giving the Godolphin stable a first victory in the US racing classic at Churchill Downs. Untroubled by the sloppy track after a rainy day in Louisville, Sovereignty gained control in the final furlong to give Venezuelan jockey Junior Alvarado a first Kentucky Derby win. 'It means the world to me,' a mud-splattered Alvarado told broadcaster NBC as he made his way aboard Sovereignty toward the winner's circle. 'I thought I had a great chance,' he said, adding thanks to Mott for putting him back on Sovereignty after he recovered from a broken shoulder suffered in a spill in March. Journalism, the heavy favourite as he arrived on a four-race winning streak, finished second and Baeza, who got into the field on Friday after two horses were scratched, was a fast-finishing third. For trainer Bill Mott, it was officially a second Kentucky Derby victory, but it was the first time he got to see his horse hit the wire first. He trained Country House, who was declared the winner in 2019 after Maximum Security was disqualified. 'This one got there the right way,' Mott said. 'It'll take a while to sink in.' It was a first Kentucky Derby victory for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Godolphin in their 13th attempt in the 1 1/4-mile Run for the Roses. And it capped an impressive global week for Godolphin. Their Good Cheer won the Kentucky Oaks for fillies at Churchill Downs on Friday and they won the English 2000 Guineas with Ruling Court on Saturday. 'It's a race that we always wanted to try and win,' Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock, said as he accepted the trophy and admired the view of Churchill Downs' twin spires from the winner's circle for the first time. 'It's a great feeling.' Trainer Bob Baffert, who shares the record with six Kentucky Derby winners, was in the spotlight as he returned to the race after a three-year ban after his Medina Spirit was stripped of the win in 2021 after failing a post-race drug test. Baffert's Citizen Bull broke from the first post and quickly came off the rail as he powered to the early lead. Sovereignty, sent off at 7-1 in the $5 million race, was well back at the half-mile mark but moving up as they turned for home. As Citizen Bull faded, jockey Umberto Rispoli brought Journalism to the front on the inside. Alvarado had to work his way past Chunk of Gold and then had Sovereignty in his sights. They were neck-and-neck in the straight before Sovereignty's final surge carried him to a 1 1/2-length win. 'It was a wonderful horse race,' Banahan said. 'You've got the two best horses, one from the East Coast, one from the West Coast, locking down there, not one of them giving an inch and right down to the wire before we got the better of Journalism. 'So it's a fantastic race.' Now Sovereignty's connections will decide if the colt will be pointed at the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in US flat racing's Triple crown on May 17. The treble concludes with the Belmont Stakes on June 7. That race will be held not at Belmont Park, which is undergoing renovations, but at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. 'We'll see how he comes out of the race,' Banahan said. 'We'll see what the Hall of Fame trainer wants to do with him, but if he's good coming out it would be the logical place to go. 'We'd love to try and go back and win the Preakness.'
