Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, crosses the finish line to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)2025-05-06T17:44:38Z Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not run in the Preakness Stakes, officials announced Tuesday, ending any chance at a Triple Crown for a seventh consecutive year.We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness, said Mike Rogers, executive VP of 1/ST Racing, which operates the Preakness. We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision.Mott told Preakness officials the plan will be to enter Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of the Triple Crown, on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Mott on Sunday morning had foreshadowed skipping the Preakness in the name of long-term interests.We want to do whats best for the horse, Mott told reporters at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and thats not something were not going to think about. This is the fourth time since Justify won all three races in 2018 that the Preakness will go on without a true shot at a Triple Crown. The two-week turnaround from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness and changes in modern racing have sparked debate around the sport about spacing out the races. Prominent owner Mike Repole earlier Tuesday posted on social media a proposal to move the Belmont to second in the Triple Crown order, four weeks after the Kentucky Derby and sliding the Preakness back further with the aim of keeping more of the top horses involved.___AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing STEPHEN WHYNO Whyno has covered the NHL, Washington Capitals, the NFLs Washington Commanders and horse racing for The Associated Press since 2016. twitter facebook RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site