Sovereignty Responded at Saratoga and Mott Is Confident He Will Be Ready for the Classic
The Godolphin champion worked 1000 meters in 1m2s76/100 and will travel Tuesday to Keeneland, where he will wrap up his preparation for the Breeders' Cup. Knightsbridge could target the Dirt Mile, though a final decision has yet to be made
SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— Sovereignty took another important step toward the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), to be run October 31 at Keeneland. The Godolphin champion worked 1000 meters in 1m2s76/100 this Sunday over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga, pleasing trainer Bill Mott, who confirmed the colt will move to Kentucky on Tuesday.
The breeze was more demanding than his previous efforts—a deliberate choice by the trainer, who seeks to bring the colt back to peak fitness following a layoff that will reach nearly three months by the time the gates open for the Classic.
With Neil Poznansky, assistant to Mott, in the irons, Sovereignty initiated the exercise tracking his regular work partner Time To Roll (Not This Time). Entering the final 400 meters he still trailed by roughly two lengths, but surged on the outside, drew on terms near the wire, and galloped out with plenty of power past the post.
Clockers at Saratoga caught fractions of 12s84/100, 24s79/100, and 36s99/100, with a 1200-meter gallop-out time of 1m16s65/100.
“I thought he worked very well. Neil was happy with him as well and felt everything remains on track,” Mottexplained.
The Hall of Fame trainer revealed he intentionally sought a stronger exercise by placing the champion behind his company to force him to make up ground. “We wanted a slightly better work and the other horse kept him company to the wire,” he noted.
A conditional preparation
Sovereignty has not raced since August 8, when he captured the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. He was subsequently slated to start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 18 at Belmont Park, but a foot abscess in his left hind quarter forced him to pause his campaign and revise the schedule.
Since resuming serious morning trials, the champion has logged four breezes, with Sunday's showing encouraging progression over his effort the previous week, when he covered the same distance in 1m4s01/100.
During his workouts he wore a specialized bar shoe on the affected foot, though Mott clarified he will not wear it on race day.
Asked whether he considers the accumulated training sufficient to face such a demanding test after nearly three months off the track, the trainer offered a direct response.
“I think he has done what is necessary,” he stated. Plans call for one final breeze next weekend after settling in at Keeneland, where Sovereignty will fine-tune the remaining details before facing, among others, Japanese defending champion Forever Young (Real Steel).
Godolphin also holds another top-tier card in Knightsbridge, winner of the Pacific Classic (G1) in his last start and also under Mott's care.
The colt has been following a different routine than Sovereignty. On October 15, he drilled 1000 meters in 1m1s40/100, ten days after posting 1200 meters in 1m12s96/100.
For now, the intention is to pre-enter him in both the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile(G1), though a strong possibility exists that the two Godolphin stars will target different events.
“I think that will be a team decision. If they want to run in two separate races, I am completely fine with that. But if they prefer Knightsbridge to run in the Classic, I have no issue with that either,” Mott explained.
The trainer added that no final decision has been reached: “Right now there is a good chance we will run in two different races, but that could change. Nothing is set in stone,” he noted.
That decision will be particularly crucial, as Knightsbridge arrives in peak condition and represents a premier threat in either spot.
Mott also plans to pre-enter T Kraft (Connect), recent winner of the Vosburgh Stakes (G2), in both the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and the Dirt Mile.
Thus, while Godolphin resolves the entry distribution for its top horses, Sovereignty continues his forward march toward the main event. His Sunday breeze produced encouraging signals and, above all, confirmed that the champion is regaining the rhythm necessary to tackle one of the toughest challenges of his career.
On Tuesday he will arrive at Keeneland, where he will have one final opportunity to adjust his preparation before attempting to add another major victory to his outstanding resume.
