William aka Bill Mott is a veteran horse trainer who trained the recent 151st Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty, find out more about him, his wife and net worth below
Notably, Sovereignty won the competition while defying all odds and outpacing the competition favorite, ‘Journalism,’ in the final stretch.
Who is William ‘Bill’ Mott, trainer of 2025 Kentucky Derby winner horse Sovereignty, bio, age, family, wife, children and net worth
In case you’re wondering how Bill Mott celebrated winning the @KentuckyDerby, the @nmrhof trainer went to Joe’s Older Than Dirt pic.twitter.com/XnNbMx5NwT
— Ed DeRosa (@EJXD2) May 4, 2025
“It’s great! It’ll probably take a while to sink in.”
Trainer Bill Mott after SOVEREIGNTY wins the 151st Kentucky Derby 🌹 pic.twitter.com/vFM7QgEAMD
— Paul Miles (@PaulMiles840) May 3, 2025
Notably, Sovereignty’s victory delivered Mott his most satisfying Derby win ever, as the competition took place in a soaked and muddy Churchill Downs.
Bill Mott-trained horse sovereignty wins 2025 Kentucky Derby
Sovereignty, ridden by veteran jockey Junior Alvarado and trained under Bill Mott, pulled off a memorable upset after winning the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Sovereignty entered the 151st edition of the race with solid 7-1 odds, but the Godolphin-owned colt managed to outrun heavy favorite Journalism during the final stretch.
The race started out with Bob Baffert’s Citizen Bull securing an early lead, but Sovereignty burst out with a late charge that left the crowd stunned. As the clock stopped at 2:02.31, Mott and Alvarado secured a clear and uncontested Derby win. The win marked Mott’s second Derby victory and the first in which his horse actually crossed the finish line first.
Bill Mott bio and age
Bill Mott is a veteran horse trainer who was born in Mobridge, South Dakota. He is currently 71 years old, and his full name is William I. Mott. Bill grew up around horses thanks to his veterinarian father, and that early exposure laid the groundwork for a lifelong passion. He was already training horses on his own by the time he was in high school and funding his efforts by raising and selling cattle and pigs on his own. Bill experienced his first win with a modest $320 horse named ‘My Assets,’ eventually going on to establish himself as an elite-level horse trainer.
Tina Mott is the wife of renowned racehorse trainer Bill who joined the non-profit organization Saratoga WarHorse Board of Directors in December 2020 and Saratoga WarHorse is a non-profit organization that helps service members and veterans struggling with trauma by connecting them with retired Thoroughbred racehorses.
The two got married in 1985 and have two, sons Brady Thomas and Riley.
Tina who lives in Saratoga Springs, New York is also a passionate advocate for the military and Veterans.
His 4-year-old Margot Mott, the daughter of Bill’s son Riley and his wife, Megan, has a malignant brain tumor. Margot is now receiving treatment at St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital in Memphis, where Bill and Tina will celebrated Thanksgiving in 2023 with Riley, Megan, Margot, and their newest addition, William, who was born in June.
Career and Achievements
Bill Mott gained traction in his career after training under Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg during the 1970s. He went on to secure 15 Breeders’ Cup wins, four Eclipse Awards, and two Kentucky Derby victories. At the age of just 45, he got inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, becoming the youngest trainer to do so. He secured his first Derby win in 2019, but it came with a controversial disqualification of Maximum Security. However, his recent 2025 triumph was an indisputable win.
Net Worth
William Mott, aka Bill Mott, makes about $11 million yearly and in 2022, he reached his peak by making $16,848,340.
In 1995, Bill Mott earned $11 million and the following year, in 1996, he generated $11 million again. A couple of years later, in 2011, he made $10 million and he has made a name for himself and won over 5000 races.
His lifetime earnings stand at $358,647,753.