Sovereignty won't pursue the Triple Crown, reigniting debate over the racing calendar

The Kentucky Derby-winning colt will rest until the Belmont, making him the fourth recent winner to skip the trip to Pimlico since 2019

Sovereignty will skip the Preakness at Pimlico / KENTUCKY DERBY

By Diego H. Mitagstein

The hopes of racing fans took a major hit with the news that Sovereignty, the colt who just captured the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, will bypass the GI Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the American Triple Crown, scheduled to be run in 10 days at Pimlico.

The decision, made by trainer Bill Mott and the Godolphin team, raised eyebrows and reignited a longstanding debate over whether the current scheduling of the Triple Crown races needs to be revised to restore the series’ former stature and better accommodate today’s racehorses.

“We received a call from Bill Mott today, and he informed us that his horse will not be participating in the race,” said Mike Rogers, Executive Vice President of 1/ST Racing, operators of Pimlico Race Course. “He said he would be pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes. We extend our congratulations to their team and respect their decision.

“We will continue building excitement toward the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes and work toward an incredible weekend of world-class racing and entertainment,” Rogers added in a diplomatic statement.

In his TDN column, Bill Finley labeled Mott’s decision as “surprising” and raised questions for the broader U.S. racing industry, noting that more and more trainers are unwilling to run their horses back on short rest.

Sovereignty becomes the fourth Derby winner since 2019 to skip the Preakness, following Country House (Lookin At Lucky)—also trained by Mott—Mandaloun (Into Mischief), and Rich Strike (Keen Ice), all of whom elected to bypass the trip to Baltimore.

Finley argued that the Triple Crown is not broken but in need of adjustments, suggesting that spacing the races a month apart—similar to the Argentine model—could help preserve the integrity of the series while better suiting modern training philosophies, even though that system involves a surface change.

The decision to pass up a Triple Crown bid with Sovereignty was particularly surprising given the colt’s impressive physical constitution and his ownership by Sheikh Mohammed, who is known for embracing major racing challenges. Many believed the son of Into Mischief had a legitimate shot at sweeping the series.

According to Mott, the colt exited the Derby—run over a sloppy track—in good shape. Speaking to Blood-Horse, he explained: “I don’t think anyone on the team was too eager to run him back in two weeks. We talked about it, of course, but opted to point for the Belmont. He didn’t come out of the race any worse than expected, and he’s actually in decent condition. But this was his third tough race of the year, and that effort over the slop in the Derby took something out of him.”

Mott added: “It’s not just a matter of running in the Derby and coming back in 14 days. It’s not that they can’t do it—we’re just thinking long-term and about his entire campaign. One of my personal goals is to win the Travers (G1), and that’s definitely on the table.”

Asked whether the Triple Crown calendar should be changed, Mott said: “Sure, I could go for the Triple Crown if I wanted, but it’s a tough challenge. Running in all three races is pretty taxing, and full credit to the horses who pulled it off. If you can do it, great. I guess it all depends on where your priorities lie.”