Kentucky Derby: All on Sovereignty's jockey Junior Alvarado, trainer and owner - Details

Sovereignty won the 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday

Updated on: May 4, 2025, 05:26:00 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Sovereignty won the 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, securing a $3.1 million prize from the $5 million purse. The racehorse beat the favorite Journalism in the last stretch. Ridden by jockey Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty is trained by William I. Mott, and owned by Godolphin.

Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby 2025 (Getty Images via AFP)

Who is Junior Alvarado?

Wilmer Alexander Alvarado, popularly known as Junior Alvarado, was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. The 38-year-old's father was a jockey, as per Blood-Horse. Alvardo moved to the US in 2007 and started off on Florida tracks like Calder Race Course, per Equibase.

Career Highlights:

Over 2,200 wins and $114 million in purse earnings as of 2025, per Equibase.

Notable wins include the 2021 Preakness Stakes (Rombauer), 2019 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Blue Prize), and 2018 Manhattan Stakes (Spring Quality), per Blood-Horse.

First jockey to win six races on a single card at Saratoga (August 2012), per NYRA.

2025 Derby was his first Kentucky Derby win in nine attempts, with a best prior finish of sixth (Mohaymen, 2016).

Post-race, Alvarado told NBC Sports: “This is a dream come true. Sovereignty gave me everything, and I just guided him home.”

Who is Sovereignty's trainer, William I. Mott?

Born in South Dakota, William I. Mott started training at the age of 15. The 71-year-old worked for his father, who was a veterinarian. Mott moved to Kentucky in the 1970s, training for owners like Bert and Diana Firestone.

Career Highlights:

Hall of Fame inductee (1998, age 45), one of the youngest trainers honored, per the National Museum of Racing.

Over 5,600 wins and $340 million in earnings as of 2025, per Equibase.

Mott told the Courier-Journal post-race: “Sovereignty showed his heart today. This win means everything after so many close calls.”

Sovereignty's owner

Founded in 1992 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, Godolphin has major stables in Dubai, the US, Europe, and Australia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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