Winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, Sovereignty has had a pretty solid and interesting season in 2025. He took home the famous Kentucky Derby, made a strong late push in the Belmont to grab another Grade 1 win, and has either won or landed in the top three in every race this year. Sovereignty has been hanging out at Saratoga since early July, working out and keeping a steady pace in training.

According to NYRA coverage, there have been no reported setbacks. Trainer Bill Mott said, “He’s doing good. His work went well. He looked good after. We haven’t had any major issues at all. We hope he has a good race and has a little luck. Anything can happen. They’ve got to go around there, and it’s not over until those blinking lights say ‘official.’ They’ve got to hang those numbers up and say official.”

So, all eyes are on the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes coming up on July 26. It’s a small but top-notch group of five horses competing. Along with Sovereignty, the lineup features some impressive competitors like Sandman, who won the Arkansas Derby and came in third at the Preakness. Then there’s Baeza, who placed third in both the Derby and Belmont. Mo Plex, the champion of the Ohio Derby, and Hill Road, the winner of the Peter Pan, are also in the mix. This field may be small, but it really delivers quality—it’s a genuine challenge.

Yet, as Matthew DeSantis pointed out on NYRA Bets, “if there’s going to be anyone outside of Journalism who could potentially beat Sovereignty, it feels like this is the collection of horses that might be able to do it, or at least come closest to being able to do it in terms of Sandman, in terms of Baeza, in terms of some horses that were knocking on the door in some of these big Triple Crown races,” suggesting the Jim Dandy will double as a comeback test to prove he still has that extra gear. A win would really show Sovereignty’s strength and help him move closer to his fall goals, like the Travers and Breeders’ Cup.

However, a close loss might show some weakness and deepen the division, paving the way for some fierce rivalries at Saratoga. But, you know, apart from the Jim Dandy Stakes, the G1 Travers Stakes is going to be a tough challenge for Sovereignty as well. So, all eyes are on the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes coming up on July 26.

Sovereignty’s path to success won’t be that easy

The 156th Travers Stakes at Saratoga is gearing up to be a thrilling event for 3-year-olds. We’ve got an amazing lineup set to race over 1 1/4 miles on August 23. Journalism is really making waves right now, especially after that hard-fought win in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes. He pulled ahead of Gosger and Goal Oriented to snag his third Grade 1 victory this season.

So, after starting strong with a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby, grabbing a win at the Preakness, and putting up a solid effort in the Belmont, Journalism is heading into the Travers as the horse to watch. However, he isn’t the only horse to watch out for. We’ve got some exciting news with Goal Oriented, a colt trained by the legendary Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

After running into Journalism at the Preakness and finishing a solid fourth, Goal Oriented really bounced back and had a good showing at the Haskell, where he took third place. He’s totally wowed everyone and landed a coveted starting spot in the Travers. Baffert also shared that the colt is heading to Saratoga, saying, “He’s going to the Travers. We’ll get him home. He’s flying home on Tuesday and then back for the Travers.” Journalism is gearing up to keep moving ahead in his championship run, while Goal Oriented is really showing some strong resilience and a hopeful upward trend. The Travers Stakes field is a great mix of solid experience and exciting potential.