Sovereignty will not run the Jockey Club Gold Cup and targets the Breeders’ Cup directly

The reigning Horse of the Year failed to recover in time from a left hind foot abscess, and Bill Mott confirmed his absence from next Friday's G1 at Belmont Park. The intention is to target the Classic directly, where he will aim to settle the score from 2025

NEW YORK, United States (Special for Turf Diario).— The eagerly awaited showdown between Sovereignty and Forever Young (Real Steel) will have to wait. Bill Mott confirmed that the reigning Horse of the Year will not start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1-2000m, US$1,000,000), one of the major attractions scheduled for the reopening of the renovated Belmont Park.

A left hind foot abscess ultimately ruled out the son of Into Mischief, who has not completed a timed workout since August 28. The issue surfaced several days ago, and although initial hopes remained that he might recover in time, the clock ultimately ran out.

Now Mott's target is to get Sovereignty back on the track within the coming week and begin training him directly toward the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on October 31 at Keeneland.

“All I can say is I can take the 57 years of experience I have doing this and give it my best shot,” the trainer explained to Daily Racing Form, well aware that the timing will need to be managed with exceptional care.

His absence causes a degree of concern due to a very recent precedent. Sovereignty was also forced to miss the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic when he spiked a fever just days before the event and had to be scratched. Now he will have to navigate another disrupted preparation if he intends to arrive in shape to chase the major race still missing from his record.

The Godolphin homebred had launched his current campaign with a runner-up effort in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), followed by a third-place finish in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1). But it was back at Saratoga where he rediscovered his peak form.

At the very venue where he had captured both the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Travers Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old, Sovereignty delivered a commanding performance in the Whitney Stakes (G1), drawing off by 4 3/4 lengths on August 8 to immediately re-establish himself at the forefront of the North American older division.

That victory was meant to build momentum in the Jockey Club Gold Cup while serving up a highly anticipated clash against Forever Young, last year's Breeders' Cup Classic winner who is already stabled in New York. The Japanese superstar stepped onto Belmont's new track for the first time on Thursday and now stands as the clear focal point of the race.

Without Sovereignty, the outlook for the Jockey Club Gold Cup shifts significantly. Prospective rivals for Forever Young include Phileas Fogg (Astern), Banishing (Ghostzapper), Willy D's (Lookin At Lucky), and Yo Daddy(Yoshida). Final entries will be drawn this Saturday.

For Sovereignty, however, a different race against time begins. Should everything progress as expected, he will enter the Classic off an 84-day layoff, relying on that formidable Whitney performance as his final prep. Mott has proven over decades that he knows how to bring a horse peaked for a major target. This time, he will need to summon all of that experience to ensure Sovereignty reaches Keeneland without a preparatory start.

The rematch with Forever Young could now take place directly in the Breeders' Cup Classic. For that to happen, Sovereignty must first win his most immediate battle: returning to normal training and arriving sound on October 31.