Kentucky Derby winner Junior Alvarado is facing a big fine for excessive whip use on his horse, Sovereignty, during the 151st running of the prestigious race. The Kentucky Derby drew a high-profile crowd to Churchill Downs, including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, her partner Jonathan Owens, musician Machine Gun Kelly and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
An estimated 150,000 spectators witnessed Sovereignty’s stunning victory, surpassing favourite Journalism to secure a £2.3million share of the £3.75million prize purse. Despite the win, Alvarado’s earnings will be reduced due to his breach of whip rules during the race. Alvarado exceeded the permissible limit of six whip uses set by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). Riders must also pause for the horse to respond after every two strikes. As reported by BloodHorse, a review of the race revealed that Alvarado used the whip more than seven times, violating HISA regulations. Following the race, Alvarado acknowledged his mistake, telling BloodHorse that he lost track of his whip count amid the excitement of the derby.
“I couldn’t keep track of that,” he admitted. “It’s such a big race, there’s so much that you’ve got on your mind. I wasn’t galloping by 10 [lengths]. When the extra whip happened, I was right next to the favourite, and I needed to do what I needed to do at the time.
“After [watching a replay], I saw I went over, but I had no time to think about that [in the moment]. I just wanted to win the biggest race in America.”
If jockeys exceed the strike limit by one to three strikes, they face a fine of $250 (around £188) or 10 per cent of their purse earnings, whichever is greater. Given Sovereignty’s £2.3m prize, Alvarado’s take-home would be around £232,000.
Consequently, the jockey faces a hefty fine of approximately £22,000, a one-day suspension and three points on his license. If a jockey exceeds the limit by four to nine additional strikes, the penalty increases to £375 or 20 per cent of the purse, which would amount to around £47,000 for Alvarado.
Additionally, the jockey would incur a three-day suspension and five points on their license. Alvarado acknowledged the situation, adding: “I’m gonna have to take the penalty that I am probably going to be handed. There’s nothing I can do.”
He will get an opportunity to defend his actions. Mandy Minger, a spokesperson for HISA, said via the Thoroughbred Daily News: “At that time, Junior Alvarado will have the opportunity to explain whether his use of the crop violated HISA’s riding crop rules.”