When there’s $2 million on the line, you know you can’t pull any punches. And that’s exactly what celebrity horse trainer Bill Mott is looking to do. After his horse Sovereignty skipped the Preakness Stakes, following the victory at the Kentucky Derby in early May, Mott is eyeing to reclaim of his throne at the third jewel of the Triple Crown. And the thoroughbred’s gusto is all he needs to accomplish his dream.

Just a week ago, Mott had already claimed that Sovereignty is looking the best he has in recent weeks. ‘He’s almost a little more aggressive,” the trainer said with subtle pride, highlighting that the June 7 race could be a one-sided affair. And now, the 71-year-old trainer is back with another veiled(?) warning for his foes.

In a post by the official Belmont Stakes account on X from June 2, Mott’s latest words have been shared. “He’s improved – as many of these horses have,” the Hall of Famer said, while also acknowledging that Sovereignty’s opponents won’t be giving anyone a hall pass on Saturday. ‘This entire group, if you look at their form and the way they’ve developed over the course of this year, I think they’ve made steady progress,” Mott went on, saying how the starting lineup for the Belmont looks impressive on the books.

“It should be an interesting race on Saturday,” said Sovereignty’s trainer, making it apparent that he won’t be taking any of the runners lightly at Saratoga Park. There are about three weeks between the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont. And considering the race at Pimlico took place two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, you’d probably comprehend where Mott is coming from.

With a solid five weeks of rest since the triumph at Churchill Downs, Sovereignty has had plenty of time to recuperate from his last race. The son of Into Mischief has done three workouts at Saratoga since May 17 (the latest one being on June 1, when Sovereignty hopped across the 9-furlong race track in 48:84), while his biggest rival was making waves at the Preakness.

Remember when the celebrity trainer made it clear that his priority for Sovereignty was to have a career that goes beyond the 5-week span of the Triple Crown? Well, now is the time to walk the talk and give the horse the deserving end to the most exciting stretch of the horse racing season he deserves. But it’s not an easy ask, even for a trainer such as Bill Mott.

Sovereignty will have to work extra hard, or fast, to prove his worth

Just days after winning the Preakness Stakes, Journalism arrived at Saratoga. The colt made some friends and got acquainted with the race track, which is set to host the Belmont Stakes for the second straight year. And now, ahead of the third and final leg of this year’s Triple Crown, it looks like jockey Umberto Rispoli‘s equine partner has edged out Sovereignty with the odds stacked in his favor.

Journalism (8-5) is clearly the morning-line favorite over Sovereignty (2-1). After finishing second at the Kentucky Derby, Rispoli claimed that it was the muddy conditions of the race track that caused trouble for Journalism. The Preakness didn’t allow him to prove his point. However, while rains are still on the cards over the weekend at Saratoga, the Italian jockey could at least hope to give his best and take the fight to the Derby winner.

On the other hand, Bob Baffert’s Rodriguez also seems to have overcome his foot injury that caused the horse to be scratched from both the Derby and the Preakness. Baeza, the third-place finisher at Churchill Downs, also will enter Saratoga with 4-1 odds. Moreover, with Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher announcing his entry to the Belmont with two horses (Crudo and Uncaged), the competition just got much deeper.

Which one of these outstanding performers will you be rooting for come Saturday? Tell us in a comment!