Sovereignty has had an impressive mid-season, recently winning the $500,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 26. He finished with a time of 1:49.52 and managed to pull ahead of Baeza in the stretch, winning by a length. He just scored his fourth win in five races this year, adding to his earlier successes in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. This really cements his position as the top three-year-old in North America.

Bill Mott, the Hall of Fame trainer, talked about the performance being a solid prep. He mentioned that Sovereignty had a relaxed vibe during his pre-race gallops and that just a couple of simple works should be enough before he heads back for the Travers Stakes on August 23 at Saratoga.

“It’s probably our best chance so far to do it,” Mott said about the G1 prospect at Saratoga. “I’ve gone into it with some chances before, but this would have to be the biggest chance. Now the expectations are high, so it’s one of those situations where as long as he’s running well, he’s always going to be one of the favorites. Everybody’s expectations are high.”

While everyone is focused on Sovereignty’s Travers bid, there’s also a rival in the mix—Sierra Leone, which is definitely making its presence known. Sierra Leone took home the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, winning by 1 1/2 lengths against Fierceness. Jockey Flavien Prat rode him to this career-defining victory, and he was later honored as the champion three-year-old male.

According to Equibase’s post on X, if Sierra Leone, who currently has $6.2 million in career earnings, wins this year’s Travers, he would join a special group of horses that have won both the Travers Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic—a remarkable feat accomplished by just seven horses before him. That would make Sierra Leone the eighth horse ever to pull off that double.

But, you know, Sovereignty’s main form might actually take that distinction away from Sierra Leone. Sovereignty’s wins at the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, along with his impressive performance in the Jim Dandy, really set him up as the top contender to take charge of the pace and outshine his competitors at those classic distances.

Sierra Leone has the chance to be part of a unique historical group, but the issue with Sovereignty could really throw a wrench in those plans. So, after the Travers Stakes, it looks like the Mott-trained colt is gearing up for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and there’s a good feeling about him being part of it.

Sovereignty’s future looks bright

When November comes, fans will get to catch Sovereignty at the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and it seems like many are starting to view him as the favorite. In a conversation between Peter Fornatale and analyst Jonathon Kinchen, when Kinchen was asked about the rivalry between the 3-year-olds and the 4-year-olds in the Classic, he quickly pointed out Sovereignty’s skills on the track.

Kinchen mentioned during the conversation, “If Journalism and Sovereignty both grow up, wow, what a race we might be looking at in that Breeders’ Cup Classic. If you had to hold my feet to the fire right now, I would side with the three-year-olds. The reason being is Sovereignty is not too far off from a figure standpoint. And I think at a mile and a quarter with a lot of pace to run at, he’s going to have an advantage on Sierra Leone because Sierra Leone comes from so far out of it. He’s going to be close enough to Fierceness in that situation. And there’s still some upside for him to grow up a little bit.”

Kinchen really highlighted his admiration for Sovereignty, noting how the colt has consistently proven himself at the top level. He thinks Journalism is a strong contender—maybe just a notch below Sovereignty—but it definitely deserves some serious consideration. By bringing up the fact that both Journalism and Sovereignty may change throughout time, Kinchen piques curiosity and sets the scene for an intriguing possible confrontation. He believes that if both three-year-olds continue to get better, the Breeders’ Cup Classic could turn into a thrilling showdown between them and the four-year-olds.