KENTUCKY DERBY 151 – CHURCHILL DOWNS
CNN — By Ben Morse, CNN
Published 5:49 AM EDT, Mon May 12, 2025
Junior Alvarado, who rode Sovereignty to victory at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, has been fined and suspended for the overuse of his whip during the race.
Alvarado was found to have used his riding crop eight times during the race at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. However, regulations set by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) allow riders to use their whip six times during a race.
HISA said it was the second time in 180 days Alvarado had violated this rule.
As a result, HISA announced on Saturday that Alvarado had been fined $62,000 – 20% of his $310,000 share of the winnings – and suspended for two Kentucky racing days on May 29 and 30.
Alvarado can appeal the decision within 10 days of the ruling’s issuance.
Alvarado and Sovereignty won a thrilling race at the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby, beating heavy favorite Journalism down the final stretch in muddy conditions.
It was Alvarado’s first victory in the Derby and afterwards, the 38-year-old rider said he only realized he had exceeded the permitted whip use when rewatching the race.
“I couldn’t keep track of that,” the Venezuelan rider told horse racing website, Bloodhorse. “It’s such a big race, there’s so much that you’ve got on your mind.”
The next leg of US horse racing’s Triple Crown will take place at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 17, followed by the final race on June 7 at the Belmont Stakes.
Sovereignty will not attempt to win the Triple Crown after its trainer Bill Mott said it would not compete at the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course.
Article: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/12/sport/junior-alvarado-punishment-sovereignty-kentucky-derby-spt
Sovereignty (left) wins the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Michael Clevenger and O’Neil Arn/Imagn Images/Reuters
Sharon’s Opinion: Actually this is good news for animal rights activists (ARA). That people at the track actually count the number of lashings/whips is great news, since ARAs have for decades complained about the use of whips during racing. The fact that they set limits is a grand step in the right direction of banning whipping altogether.
Do they whip human runners? No. Well, they don’t have four legs and nobody is riding their back. But they use to whip slaves for not working fast enough in the fields, so it’s not a stretch. From human to horse and any other animal.
Good job.
“Junior Alvarado was fined $62,000.00 20% of his $310,000 share of the winnings – and suspended for two Kentucky racing days on May 29 and 30.”
Normally it would have been 10% or $31,000.00. This was not Alvarado’s first offense.
The Last Supper Guy 