Junior Alvarado was given a $62,000 fine and suspended for two upcoming racing days for striking Sovereignty eight times with his riding crop during the Kentucky Derby.

Junior Alvarado, the jockey who rode Sovereignty to victory at the 2025 Kentucky Derby, was fined $62,000 on Friday after the Horse Integrity and Safety Authority ruled he had whipped his horse too many times.

The jockey who rode Sovereignty to victory at the Kentucky Derby last week has been fined over $60,000 for striking the horse with his riding crop too many times during the race, according to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.