In the grand tapestry of Triple Crown races, the month of June comes with the dreams to be fulfilled. Trainers and jockeys get ready to show their caliber in the Belmont Stakes. Often, the legendary race comes with lasting stakes where the winner gets a chance to become a Triple Crown Champion, like Bob Baffert and Justify in 2018. It means winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes trifecta.

There are always a few colts that are built for the big stage. But they also come with enormous expectations because of the crown they wear. Sovereignty, the Godolphin homebred, fits that mold perfectly. The 3-year-old colt is the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner. And he is charging into the Saratoga Race Course for the 157th edition of the Belmont Stakes. He’s been dazzling and resilient when conditions weren’t ideal. And this Belmont Stakes on June 7 will be his true moment of reckoning. Bill Mott, a Hall of Fame trainer who knows a thing or two about winning the Belmont, believes this might just be another one of those opportunities.

Sovereignty has already knocked heads with some of the top names in this crop, picking up wins and important placings along the way. Yet, this race at Saratoga comes down to one showdown – Sovereignty vs. Journalism. The 3-year-old Sovereignty broke his maiden in 2024 in the G3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs. He then came back to win the Fountain of Youth and finished a fast-closing second in the Florida Derby. Now, after skipping the Preakness Stakes, the colt is ready to settle the debate that has been brewing for the last month – who gets the bragging rights?

Who owns Sovereignty?

Sovereignty carries the royal blue silks of Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global racing powerhouse. Owned by the ruler of Dubai, who is also the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Godolphin is royalty bar none. They have won the Eclipse Award for outstanding owner seven times, including five straight years from 2020 to 2024.

After their dominance in Europe and beyond, Godolphin found its elusive Kentucky Derby win in 2025. And now, they are going for their 2nd Belmont Stakes success, having seen Essential Quality cross the finishing gates first in 2021. This time, they’re back with a colt that not only boasts impeccable breeding but also has shown serious grit on American soil.

Like Essential Quality, Sovereignty represents the pure, in-house breeding program Godolphin has long cultivated. Bred in Kentucky, he’s a homegrown product who has claimed America’s biggest prize. And now it’s a full-circle storyline: Sovereignty began his racing career at Saratoga in August 2024. The global racing giant trusts its own program to deliver a piece of racing immortality on U.S. turf.

As for how they are looking at Sovereignty’s chances at the 2025 Belmont Stakes, Michael Banahan is pretty upbeat. The Godolphin’s USA director of bloodstock said this to The Detroit News on June 6, 2025: “Bill (Mott) has been very happy with him since he’s got up to Saratoga. He came out of the Derby in good shape, and he had a couple of breezes that Bill has put into him up there. He seems like he’s responded well … So by all accounts, Bill and his team up in Saratoga have been particularly pleased with how well he’s been doing.”

In fact, Banahan and Godolphin have blind trust in trainer Bill Mott. Banahan said, “Bill Mott, who’s trained horses for us for a long time, is very judicious about where he wants to place his horses and we put a lot of faith in the recommendations that he would give us as well.” In 2025, entering the Kentucky Derby, Godolphin was the top-earning thoroughbred owner in North America. And it was bolstered by the Derby win.

Who trains the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner?

From guiding Sovereignty through maiden races to tactically placing him in key stakes, trainer Bill Mott’s handprint is all over this colt’s steady climb. When it comes to class and longevity, Mott stands tall among American trainers. Inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 1998, the 71-year-old has collected Eclipse Awards, Breeders’ Cup trophies, and 2 Kentucky Derby wins. The first Derby win came in 2019 with Country House, albeit via disqualification. And the other one was a clean win thanks to Sovereignty.

And now, Bill Mott will also try to improve his Belmont count to 2. In 2010, he trained Drosselmeyer to a win in the 1 ½ mile race. It will be a little different this time, with the race happening in Saratoga instead of Belmont Park, which is under renovation. Mott believes Sovereignty might just be the perfect colt to win the Derby-Belmont Stakes double.

His patient approach has brought the colt along perfectly, allowing him to mature at his own pace without rushing through the prep season. He has stated previously that Sovereignty “might be the best horse I’ve ever brought to the Derby.” That’s saying a lot. And now, he is ready for the big decider on Saturday.

Who is Sovereignty’s jockey?

Junior Alvarado will reunite with Sovereignty for the Belmont Stakes after the successful Kentucky Derby ride. With the Derby win on May 3, Alvarado secured his first Triple Crown race. But he will now be wanting the second. The Venezuelan jockey missed the Florida Derby due to a shoulder injury. But except for that, he has been in the saddle of Sovereignty for all three wins.

This familiar partnership could be crucial given the quality of the field at the Belmont. Alvarado, who teamed with Mott for victories aboard Cody’s Wish and others, knows Sovereignty inside out. Alvarado has had 3 Belmont Stakes mounts before but has never found the winner’s circle. In 2024, he finished 10th with Resilience, which was also trained by Bill Mott.

Alvarado has been riding Sovereignty since the start and understands the horse’s deep-closing tendencies. The trust between them will be key, especially in navigating traffic and timing a stretch rally. With his regular rider back aboard, Sovereignty’s team is hoping that synergy will make all the difference.

What are Sovereignty’s career earnings?

As of June 2025, Sovereignty has amassed $3,672,800 in career earnings. His biggest payday came from the 2025 Run to the Roses, when he won the first prize of $3.1 million. His Grade 2 Fountain of Youth win at Gulfstream Park also paid handsomely, followed closely by his second-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.

These earnings reflect a colt who’s been remarkably consistent despite facing stiff competition at every turn. Though he’s only made 6 career starts heading into the 2025 Belmont Stakes, Sovereignty has never finished worse than fourth—an impressive feat given the level of races he’s contested. His earnings are one of the highest in the Belmont field, and he is a fighter who belongs in elite company.

What are Sovereignty’s racing stats and past performances?

Sovereignty enters the Saratoga racecourse on June 7 with a record of 6 starts: 3 wins and 2 seconds. His breakthrough came in fall 2024 when he broke his maiden stylishly in the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs, surging past future graded stakes winners like Tiztastic and Sandman. Since stretching out, Sovereignty has blossomed, consistently showing the stamina and drive necessary for 1¼ miles.

His 94 Beyer in the Florida Derby may not have dazzled, but his closing speed and consistency have always been a serious threat. Sovereignty’s three-year-old season saw him win the Fountain of Youth Stakes in dramatic closing fashion. Then he followed it up with a gutsy runner-up effort in the Florida Derby.

His lone “off” race—a fourth-place finish in his debut at Saratoga—was over an unsuitable six-furlong trip. Maybe this is his redemption run, where beating Journalism will establish him as a thoroughbred of exceptional class. And he has every chance to do it. Sovereignty ran a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure in the 2025 Kentucky Derby to beat Journalism by one and a half lengths. He will want to do that again.

What is Sovereignty’s pedigree and bloodline?

Sovereignty’s pedigree screams endurance, speed, and distance, which is the Belmont ideal. Sired by Into Mischief, Sovereignty can be the first thoroughbred of that line to win the Belmont Stakes. But the leading sire has produced winners elsewhere, like Kentucky Derby Champion Authentic and Mandaloun. Into Mischief brings a potent blend of speed and class from his paternal side. The 20-year-old continues to be a game-changer in American breeding. And Sovereignty fits the mold of many of his top sons: fast, durable, and mentally sharp.

His dam, Crowned, adds even more classic potential. Crowned is a daughter of Bernardini (Preakness winner and proven stamina influence) and out of Mushka, a Grade 1 winner by Belmont Stakes champion Empire Maker. This maternal line is packed with staying power, making Sovereignty’s ability to finish strongly no accident. Simply put, Sovereignty’s bloodlines were made for the first Saturday in May. The blend of Into Mischief’s brilliance and Bernardini’s grit gives him a blueprint for classic distance success.