(Sovereignty wins the 151st Kentucky Derby / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

After much internal discussion and debate, a final decision has been made.

This year’s winner of the 151st Kentucky Derby will not be shipped to Baltimore and Pimlico Park for the 150th Preakness Stakes.

Pimlico broke the news on Tuesday:

“We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,” 1/ST Racing executive vice president Mike Rogers said in a statement. “Bill informed us they would point toward the Belmont Stakes.

“We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision,” the statement continued. “We continue to see the excitement building toward the milestone celebration of the 150th Preakness Stakes, and we look forward to an incredible weekend of world-class racing and entertainment.”

Sovereignty becomes the 2nd winner of the Derby to skip the Preakness Stakes in recent history. The other was Rich Strike, who won the Derby in a huge upset just 3 years ago in 2022.

According to several sources, who talked to Sovereignty’s Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott immediately after the Derby win, the Preakness Stakes was never a major consideration, due to the close proximity in time in-between the first two jewels of the Triple Crown.

Most persons close to the ownership team of Godolphin expect that Sovereignty will likely be pointed the final leg of this year’s Triple Crown — the Belmont Stakes.