Franco will ride Sovereignty in Kentucky Derby prep

Manny Franco will ride Sovereignty in Saturday's Grade 1 Florida Derby, replacing the injured Junior Alvarado for trainer Bill Mott.

Alvarado is sidelined for three to six weeks after getting a hairline fracture in his shoulder blade from an accident during a Gulfstream Park race Sunday.

Franco's agent, John Panagot, confirmed an X post by David Grening of Daily Racing Form about the jockey change.

“I can rarely get him. He’s never been easy to get to ride, but I think he won a couple of Grade 1s for us on Channel Maker,” Mott said in a Gulfstream Park news release. Mott gave Franco a leg up on Channel Maker for back-to-back victories in the 2020 Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont. “He’s done well with the ones he’s ridden for us.”

Alvarado has ridden Sovereignty in all four of his starts, including wins in the Street Sense (G3) and the Fountain of Youth (G2) in his only two most recent starts. He was the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Florida Derby.

Franco is entered for nine races at Aqueduct on Saturday. Alvarado had eight mounts at Gulfstream on Saturday, including three for Mott.

Franco is the leading rider in the current meet at Aqueduct, with 63 wins from 278 starts. He won the 2020 Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes with Tiz the Law for trainer Barclay Tagg.

Last year, Franco had seven graded-stakes wins, including three aboard champion 2-year-old filly Immersive. He ranked seventh by earnings, with a career high of $18.1 million, and 10th by wins.