Bill Mott and Sovereignty: When the Sport of Kings Reminds Us It Can Hurt Too

The Kentucky Derby, Belmont, and Travers champion was sidelined from the Breeders’ Cup Classic due to a mild fever—but his trainer chose calm and gratitude in the face of adversity

Bill Mott and Sovereignty: Alone Together in the Face of Adversity / BREEDERS' CUP

By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario at Del Mar, California, USA)

DEL MAR, California – The Thursday morning sun lit up the Godolphin barn at Del Mar, but the mood remained heavy. Sovereignty, the 3-year-old star who was set to headline the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, rested quietly in his stall—scratched from the race of the year after developing a mild fever less than 72 hours before post time.

His trainer, Bill Mott, walked calmly through the shedrow, carrying that mix of resignation and wisdom that only decades in the game can bring. “He’s better today,” he said. “His temperature is back to normal. He’s on medication to help him, but his bloodwork looks fine—nothing alarming.” Reassuring words, though beneath them lingered the unspoken ache of watching a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away.

Sovereignty had arrived as the heavy 6-5 morning-line favorite for the Classic, after a monumental campaign that saw him sweep the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1)—three jewels that placed him among the best 3-year-olds in recent memory. But racing has a way of reminding everyone that crowns aren’t awarded early, and merit doesn’t grant immunity. In an instant, a champion’s fever reshaped the story, leaving behind a silence that spoke volumes.

Still, Mott—the Hall of Famer and one of the sport’s most respected horsemen—chose composure over frustration. “A lot of people have come up or written to apologize, but they don’t have to,” he said. “This happens to all of us. There are disappointments in this game—not always at the Breeders’ Cup, and not always with the favorite—but everyone has felt it.”

Those words capture the essence of a man who has seen it all—triumphs, heartbreaks, and everything in between. At 71, Mott knows that greatness isn’t measured solely by the victories, but by how one faces the setbacks that racing so often delivers without warning.

With no horse left in the Classic, the trainer allowed himself the freedom to speak as a fan. “I think Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) will be tough to beat, and Forever Young (Real Steel) deserves a lot of respect. I also hope the other 3-year-olds—especially Journalism (Curlin) and Baeza (McKinzie), who faced Sovereignty—run big races.”

As for Sovereignty’s future, the picture remains uncertain. “There’s no defined plan yet about when he’ll return to Kentucky or what’s next. I hope he’ll race again next year. We’ll know more in a few days.”

That hope feels like a promise—the story of Sovereignty isn’t over, only paused. The champion who captured hearts across the sport remains the same; it’s just that, this time, racing reminded everyone—even the greatest—that it can hurt too.