Sovereignty’s win in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby averaged 17.7 million viewers. This was the largest audience for the Run for the Roses since 1989.
The Kentucky Derby victory at a rain-soaked Churchill Downs sparked curiosity over whether the colt could build on his signature win. Other surfaces on the Triple Crown trail could be drier and faster than Saturday's muddy track.
The question now is whether that test will come sooner or later. Trainer Bill Mott initially seemed inclined to bypass the Preakness on May 17 in Baltimore for the Belmont next month, but will decide sometime this week. Trainers for other Derby horses face similar decisions after a muddy race that was new for many competitors.
The TV audience was a 6% increase over last year, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. The audience peaked at 21.8 million as the race kicked off.
