Missed the derby? No need to rewind it; everything is right here for you to catch up. From the race, to the winning horse, to the weather, to the fashion, to the betting – the Lafayette Times has got you covered.
This year’s Kentucky Derby was on May 3, 2025. It was the 151st race at its traditional location, Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky. The race was won by thoroughbred Sovereignty, horse number 18. Owned by Godolphin and trained by William I. Mott, Sovereignty had 5-1 odds the morning of the race.
The post time was at 6:57 p.m., a few minutes earlier than its set start time, 7:00 p.m. Sovereignty, alongside 19 other horses, first settled into the back of the group of horses. However, Sovereignty slowly moved his way to first place during the final turn, almost tying with a crowd favorite, Journalism. Sovereignty’s jockey, Junior Alvarado, had also just won his first Kentucky Derby by 1.5 lengths.
Fortunately, only two horses were scratched from the race due to foot-related bruises. There were only 19 horses in the race instead of the traditional 20 because Baeza, the backup horse, was the only next eligible horse as a replacement. On a rainy and muddy day like that Saturday, the track can become extremely dangerous for the horses and jockeys, but each made it through the race safely.
Just like the weather didn’t stop the horses from an amazing performance, it didn’t stop the fashion. Bold hats are always a go-to for the Kentucky Derby every year, and this year’s selection didn’t disappoint. Several people wore hats three times as big as their heads or had extremely bold accessories. A common accessory on the hats was miniature horses of some sort, such as kids’ toys. One woman had a matching set – her dress, which had roses scattered around the words “the Kentucky Derby” on the front, matched the same design on her hat, however it also showcased a miniature horse on the middle-top section.
One of the more surprising aspects of the derby is the amount of money that was bet this year. According to the Courier Journal, the Kentucky Derby totalled $234.4 million, breaking the previous record of $210.7 million set in 2024. This was the third year in a row that the previous year’s record had been broken in the Kentucky Derby.
Although Journalism did not win the Kentucky Derby, he redeemed himself in the 150th Preakness Stakes race of the Triple Crown with a 6/5 odds on Saturday, May 17. The next race, the Belmont Stakes, for the Triple Crown will be Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the Saratoga Race Course. As of right now, there is a eight-horse lineup where the race will consist of 1 ¼ mile length compared to the traditional 1 ½ mile. How do you think the two million dollar race will go?
