Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty skipping Preakness, trainer says: 'What's best for the horse'

For the seventh twelvemonth successful a row, determination volition not beryllium a Triple Crown winner.

Just days aft winning the 151st Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty's trainer, Bill Mott, announced that the equine volition skip the Preakness adjacent Saturday to absorption connected the Belmont Stakes.

"We received a telephone contiguous from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty volition not beryllium competing successful the Preakness," said Mike Rogers, enforcement VP of 1/ST Racing, which operates the Preakness. "We widen our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision."

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Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, crosses the decorativeness enactment to triumph the 151st moving of the Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 3, 2025, successful Louisville. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Mott told Preakness officials the program volition beryllium to participate Sovereignty successful the Belmont Stakes, the 3rd jewel of the Triple Crown, connected June 7 astatine Saratoga Race Course successful upstate New York. Mott connected Sunday greeting had foreshadowed skipping the Preakness successful the sanction of semipermanent interests.

"We privation to bash what’s champion for the horse," Mott told reporters astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville, Kentucky. "Of course, you ever deliberation astir a Triple Crown, and that’s not thing we’re not going to deliberation about."

The two-week turnaround from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness and changes successful modern racing person sparked statement astir the athletics astir spacing retired the races. The Derby typically takes spot connected the archetypal Saturday of May, with the Preakness 2 weeks following, and past the Belmont 3 weeks aft that.

Sovereignty crosses the decorativeness enactment to triumph the 151st moving of the Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs connected May 3, 2025. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

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Prominent proprietor Mike Repole earlier Tuesday posted connected societal media a connection to determination the Belmont to 2nd successful the Triple Crown order, 4 weeks aft the Kentucky Derby and sliding the Preakness backmost further with the purpose of keeping much of the apical horses involved.

This is the 3rd clip since Justify won the Triple Crown successful 2018 that the Kentucky Derby victor did not tally astatine Pimlico, joining Rich Strike successful 2022 and Country House (also trained by Mott) successful 2019. In 2020, hopes of a Triple Crown were dashed earlier the Preakness. Due to scheduling changes caused by the pandemic, it was really the past limb of the Triple Crown.

Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates aft riding Sovereignty to triumph successful the 151st moving of the Kentucky Derby, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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Sovereignty crossed the decorativeness enactment astatine Churchill Downs astatine 2:02.31. It was Mott's 2nd Derby triumph of his career.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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