“He looked good,” said Bill Mott following Sovereignty‘s final workout session at Saratoga before leaving for California for the Breeders’ Cup showdown. The colt had covered five furlongs in 1:01.39, and his trainer was justifiably feeling optimistic. And now, after having reached Del Mar, the 3-year-old son of Into Mischief gave the Hall of Fame trainer yet another reason to set high expectations for the upcoming rumble.

On Friday, Sovereignty joined stablemate Scylla to hit the track at the California racetrack. After the light workout, Mott shared with Andie Biancone his feelings about the Belmont winner’s form. The conversation was shared via a post on X by FanDual Racing on October 24. When asked about what led to the decision to let Sovereignty gallop at Del Mar, Mott said, “Well, we just shipped in, and, you know, it was just whether or not to give him another easy day or not. And he seemed to have good energy, and we just decided on the way up, ‘Well, let’s go ahead,’.”

Even in his penultimate workout at the Saratoga racecourse, Sovereignty impressed Mott. After today’s gallop, the steed did it again. “He looks good.
He seems to be feeling good, and so we gave him his first gallop over the track, and I thought he was moving well. He looked very good out there,” the seasoned trainer said after looking at his poster boy (poster horse, more like it) getting familiar with the Del Mar track on Friday. Goes without saying that Bill will be feeling extra confident ahead of the November 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Sovereignty left the Spa on October 23, and it will be some time before he gets a full-blown workout at the Del Mar racetrack. But the signs are looking swell. Moreover, the fans are also pretty confident about the 2025 Derby winner’s caliber.

As the bettings roll on before the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Sovereignty is leading the charts, underscoring the faith the horse racing community has in his abilities on the turf. After all, not many can forget how the horse edged out the Kentucky Derby favorite, Journalism, to whip out an exhilarating win at Churchill Downs. Sovereignty did it again at the Belmont. Two months later, the Godolphin-owned horse won the Travers Stakes and became the first horse in three decades to win both the Belmont and the Midsummer Derby in the same year.

Six first-place finishes in his last seven starts, and Sovereignty’s abilities shouldn’t be a debate. Obviously, his Breeders’ Cup foes should take note. Furthermore, recent developments will only make his chances at winning the upcoming race look even brighter.

Sovereignty has the best chance to win at Del Mar

At the Breeders’ Cup Classic, what had the fans the most excited was the renewal of the rivalry between Sovereignty and Journalism. With Mott’s horse skipping the Preakness Stakes, the Curlin sire bagged a big win at the Pimlico racecourse. But every time the top two horses met on the track, the result was the same: Sovereignty leaving Journalism in the dust. Many had hoped that the Breeders’ Cup Classic would be where Journalism would set the record straight. However, it would be easier said than done.

Only recently, Journalism’s connections announced that the horse won’t have his regular rider, Umberto Rispoli, on his back at Del Mar. The owners didn’t elaborate on the reason behind the decision, and further revealed that Jose Ortiz would be guiding the Haskell Stakes winner against Sovereignty. Obviously, it would make it seem like another win over the arch-nemesis could be in order for Mott & Co.

Still, it’s not like Sovereignty will get a hall pass next Saturday. A field which boasts names like Fierceness (2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up, 2024 Travers Stakes winner, 2024 Pacific Classic winner), Sierra Leone (the defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champ), Nevada Beach (trained by the legendary Bob Baffert), won’t be an easy one to conquer. How do you speculate on Sovereignty’s chances to win the Classic on November 1? Share your predictions for the race in a comment!