Into Mischief makes history with Sovereignty’s Kentucky Derby (G1) win
May 4, 2025
When Sovereignty crossed the finish line first in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (G1), he became the third Derby winner for Into Mischief, making him just one of five sires, and the first since 1957, to achieve the feat.
What is more remarkable is that Into Mischief’s three winners have come in a five-year span, while the first four sires took at least twice as long to do so.
As he has been over the past six years, Into Mischief is once again atop the General Sire list, with over $11.5 million in progeny earnings to date. Sovereignty is his 24th Grade 1 winner.
Sovereignty, who is a Godolphin homebred trained by Bill Mott, did not have the smoothest of beginnings in Saturday’s 19-horse field. After getting pinched back at the start, jockey Junior Alvarado had no choice but to take back and move over towards the inside. Sovereignty was 16th through six furlongs, with Citizen Bull leading the field into the final turn.
At that point Sovereignty was making his way around horses, and by the time he hit the top of the stretch, he was in fourth just a length off Owen Almighty’s lead. Journalism took over from Owen Almighty, but his lead was short-lived as Sovereignty had the momentum and surged past with a furlong to go, then pulled away to win by 1 ½-lengths in 2:02.31 over a sloppy racetrack.
“Going to the first turn I tried to save ground,” Alvarado said. “When I turned to the backside, he was traveling beautifully. When we hit the five-eighths pole, he said he was ready. I didn’t want to get too excited. When we turned for home, I got him in the clear and showed his stuff. I knew what he was capable of.”
“I’m so proud of the horse, Mott added. “I’m so proud of everyone who had anything to do with the horse to get him to this point. From the matings, to raising them as babies, to breaking them as 2-year-olds, we were so lucky to get him in the barn. For my regular rider Junior Alvarado, it made it so special. I’ve had quite a long relationship with the Godolphin team and the man behind the Godolphin operation Sheikh Mohammed—I’m just honored.”
Sovereignty had wins in the Street Sense S. (G3) as a 2-year-old and the Fountain of Youth S. (G2), as well as a second-place finish in the Florida Derby (G1) prior to Satuday’s win. His record is now 3-2-0 in five starts, with earnings of $3,672,800.
On Sunday morning, Mott said the Preakness (G1) is under consideration for the bay colt.
“We’ve got to consider all options with him,” the trainer stated. “We certainly respect the Triple Crown and what it means, but we’re not dead set on it. We’ll have to let the horse tell us how he’s doing in the next little while and then we’ll go from there.”