Sovereignty, the spectacular winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, arrived at Del Mar this week as the overwhelming 6-5 morning-line favorite for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, a race that was poised to crown him Horse of the Year. The Godolphin-owned colt had captivated the racing world with a dominant season, seamlessly adding the Travers Stakes to his classic victories and establishing himself as the nation’s top three-year-old. The stage was set for his dominance to continue… until a last minute twist changed the landscape.

The Classic was set to be his ultimate test, a showdown against the best older horses in training, including the previous year’s top three finishers—Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young. What was meant to be a historic clash, has turned into a historic what if, in a devastating turn of events. The star colt will not take his place in the starting gate. In an announcement that reverberated through the sport, trainer Bill Mott confirmed that Sovereignty has been scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

As seen on the Breeders’ Cup’s official X post, the Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott provided the update, stating, “He spiked another fever even though he’d had some medication in him from 6 o’clock that morning. He re-spiked another fever, and we re-treated him, and of course, now he’s on antibiotics.” He noted the horse’s improving condition, but also confirmed that there’s almost no chance that the star colt will be running in the $7 million race.

“Seems to be doing well this morning; his temp’s down to just one tick above normal, and he looks bright and looks pretty good. But he’s definitely out of the Breeders’ Cup; I mean, there’s no, you know, he’ll be scratched,” Mott confirmed.

This definitive withdrawal came just a day after Mott had first revealed the colt’s elevated temperature and had cast doubt on his status, emphasizing that the horse would not run if he was not 100%. Well, Mott expressed profound disappointment for his entire team and the many racing fans who were eagerly anticipating seeing Sovereignty compete in what was shaping up to be one of the most talented Classics in years. However, with the star colt out of the equation, this opens up a big opportunity for the rest of the field.

Sovereignty out, opportunities in

So, who do you think is the top 3-year-old colt in the Americas right now? It’s definitely Sovereignty, for sure. The colt trained by Bill Mott has racked up an impressive $5.8 million in earnings over just 9 races throughout his career. Well, the Breeders’ Cup Classic could have really boosted his earnings, but unfortunately, the horse got scratched. But you know what? This really opens up a big chance for his competitors.

Sierra Leone (7-2) is defending the crown, and this four-year-old Chad Brown colt has a chance to make history by becoming just the second horse ever to win the Classic title back-to-back, a feat last accomplished in 2001 by Tiznow. But you know, Sovereignty’s biggest competitor this season, Journalism (5-1), has really been making waves, just like he has all through 2025.

Journalism has always been that close second to sovereignty in races like the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Now that Sovereignty is out of the way, the Michael McCarthy-trained colt can really show what he’s made of in Del Mar. Other competitors like Fierceness at 5-2, Mindframe at 6-1, Forever Young at 7-2, and the rest of the field are all eager to make history too. We’ll just have to wait and see which horse truly deserves the crown, since it’s all about who crosses that finish line first.