LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not run in the 150th Preakness Stakes later this month (May 17, 2025).
Trainer Bill Mott, a graduate of Mobridge High School, Mobridge, S.D., said the plan will be to enter Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes June 7.
Sovereignty is Mott’s second Derby winner. In 2019, Maximum Security was initially declared the winner, but was eventually disqualified from the race for interfering with two other horses. That’s when Mott’s horse, Country House, moved from second to first to give Mott his first Kentucky Derby win.
South Dakotan Bill Mott (left) and the late Ray Goehring
During a conversation with Mott, DRG Media Group News and Farm Director Jody Heemstra asked him about winning the Kentucky Derby in two very different ways.
“Naturally, I always wanted to come back and win it the right way. When I say the right way, I mean crossing the finish line first The first one was good. Even when we realized there was going to be a disqualification – the fact that he finished second – we were thrilled,” said Mott.
“But this one was special. This is a very special horse. He came into the race really well. He trained so well. He did everything right. He was able to show his stuff. So the feeling is a lot different.”
Mott added, “This horse was very convincing. There was no second-guessing that he wasn’t the best horse on Saturday. He was the best horse. I think he proved that to everybody.”
Sovereignty had 7-1 odds of winning the 1¼ mile long Kentucky Derby and did it in a time of 2:02.31.
This year’s Preakness Stakes will be the last race held at Pimlico Race Course before the track is rebuilt. The current plan is for next year’s Preakness to be run at Laurel Park while Pimlico is under construction.
