On the question about whether freshly crowned Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty would pursue the Triple Crown at the Preakness on May 17, the human voices closest to the colt carried hints of hesitancy.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller celebrated Sovereignty's Kentucky Derby win over its rival, Journalism.

William Mott is Sovereignty's trainer. This marks his second Kentucky Derby win after Country House won in 2019. It's his third Triple Crown victory, having trained Drosselmeyer in the 2010 Belmont Stakes. Mott also has 10 Breeders' Cup wins.