Junior Alvarado

In a race initially billed as a showdown between this year's GI Pegasus World Cup winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and the up-and-coming 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Knightsbridge (Nyquist), Saturday's GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes turned into a parade for the latter as the Godolphin homebred took advantage of an overmatched field to earn his first graded stakes win. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had been clear earlier in the week that White Abarrio was not 100% to start Saturday and, once that rail-drawn runner was officially scratched Friday, Knightsbridge...

Off right at her morning-line odds of 5-1, West Point Thoroughbreds and William Sandbrook's Pillar of Beauty (f, 2, Caracaro--Port Marazion, by Point of Entry) took a gap at the fence at midstretch and outfinished the once-raced Elenique (Leinster) to open her account stylishly at first asking in the opening race Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park. Bought back on a bid of just $16,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale, Pillar of Beauty was entered for, but scratched from the OBS March Sale and was re-routed for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic...

What were the most popular stories in the TDN in 2025? What resonated most with our readers? Here again is our annual review of the stories you liked the most and the ones that received the most views: 1) Alvarado Faces Penalties for Overuse of Whip in the Derby, by Bill Finley. 258,371 Views. Winning the GI Kentucky Derby aboard Sovereignty (Into Mischief) was the highlight of jockey Junior Alvarado's career. But the story included a bad footnote as Alvarado faced penalties from HISA for overuse of the whip. Under...

This week on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, get ready for a special Best of 2025 episode. Throughout the year, people from all corners of the industry joined us on the show as the Gainesway Guest of the Week to provide candid conversations and insights. In this episode, we roll out the highlight reel of the most compelling interviews of 2025, bringing back the voices and moments that defined the season. This week listeners will hear from: Griffin Johnson: The popular social media star and entrepreneur discusses his...

The TDN Writers' Room saw a host of entertaining and enlightening guests in 2025. Here's a look at few of our favorites: Griffin Johnson, Terry Bradshaw, Junior Alvarado, and a collection of industry veterans who shared stories of the legendary D. Wayne Lukas.

A week ago, if Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had been able to look into the future and see a preview of himself heading to the winner's circle on Breeders' Cup Saturday, he would likely have rested easily, fairly certain he would be winning the GI Classic for a third time. After all, he shipped just two horses across the country for the 42nd Breeders' Cup, headlined by dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), whose expected appearance as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the Classic helped make it the...

Pin Oak Stud's Stars and Strides (American Pharoah) capped a memorable Saratoga meeting for his owner, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado, slicing through at the fence in upper stretch and powering home to take Monday's Listed Saranac Stakes. A narrow, but highly impressive debut winner (92 Beyer Speed Figure) in a seven-furlong maiden on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 7, the $475,000 Keeneland September graduate was a distant seventh of 11 trying winners for the first time going the same distance on July 19. That prompted a move...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At 6:30 Sunday morning, Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the hero of the 156h GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, was out and about around the Hall of Fame barn of trainer Bill Mott at the Oklahoma Training Track The 3-year-old colt, fresh off his resounding 10-length win in the Travers, grazed in the courtyard at the barn, looking like he could run another 1 ¼ miles later in the day. The margin of victory is tied for the fourth largest in Travers history. Sovereignty's blowout win was the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--As the hours shrink to minutes and the 156th running of the GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes gets upon us, those closest to Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the 2-5 morning-line favorite, handle the agonizing moments until post time in different ways. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott admitted he'll "probably" be nervous. "It's like being on the freeway," he said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track as Sovereignty munched on some grass a few feet away. "Defensive driving all the time. So far, everything has been good....

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Jockey Junior Alvarado, the race day partner of Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the leading 3-year-old in the country, knows how everyone feels now. That's because he saw up close just how powerful Sovereignty is. Sovereignty had his final work before next weekend's $1.25 million GI Travers Stakes Saturday morning at the Oklahoma Training Track. As usual, he was being ridden by Neil Poznansky, the assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Alvarado, helping the barn out, climbed aboard Fort Nelson (Bernardini), who was Sovereignty's workmate for...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Hindered at the start and helped at the end, when it counted the most, Quiet Street (Street Boss) launched her career Wednesday with a victory in the finale at Saratoga Race Course. The chart shows that the Godolphin homebred trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott won the $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies by a neck over Lit Ship (Midshipman). She completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon Turf Course in 1:03.72 and paid $15.60. Getting to the wire first was an adventure....

9th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-13, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.72, fm, neck. QUIET STREET (f, 2, Street Boss--Serene, by Tapit) overcame a rough start to win the Wednesday nightcap for the Sovereignty connections. A sneaky-live 6-1 from an 8-1 morning line, the homebred was pinched back from between horses at the break and was forced to travel from the rear, but was allowed to settle and was not ridden off her feet by Junior Alvarado. Last, but under a hold on the turn, Quiet Street swung into action seven or eight...