Sunrise at the Spa with Sovereignty

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Leading Horse of the Year candidate Sovereignty (Into Mischief) continued his preparations for the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a strong gallop on a brisk Saturday morning at Saratoga.

“He'll breeze tomorrow, then hopefully one more time before he leaves,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said back by his barn during the break. “We've been on schedule. We mapped out a little, potential schedule for him and it's gone pretty well so far. He's been doing great.”

With the rising sun, morning mist and fall foliage providing a magnificent backdrop over the Oklahoma, the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Belmont Stakes and GI Travers Stakes winner began to make his way to the track beneath exercise rider Jimmy Quispe at 6:45 a.m.

The striking Godolphin 3-year-old homebred had a nice bounce to his step jogging the outer rail while ponied by longtime Mott assistant and his regular work rider Neil Poznansky.

Given plenty of time to take in the scene–can you blame him?–with the boss watching nearby from the rail, Sovereignty broke away from the pony with good energy on the backstretch and galloped under a nice hold while displaying those massive strides of his three weeks out from the main event at Del Mar.

Sovereignty out for a spin over the Oklahoma at sunrise Saturday pic.twitter.com/UKHLAYLChz

— Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) October 11, 2025

Sovereignty has breezed four times since his 10-length Travers romp over next-out GIII Oklahoma Derby winner Bracket Buster (Vekoma), including a pair of five-furlong breezes in 1:02.82 Sept. 28 (3/3) and in 1:01.44 (1/1) Oct. 5. His latter move was his first in company, breezing with 3-year-old stablemate Playa Del Mar (Into Mischief), a last-out maiden winner at Ellis Park Aug. 22. He'll have company again tomorrow, Mott said.

“It was funny,” Poznansky said. “He worked in 1:02 4/5 the other day and Bill commented, 'You know, that was Cigar. Every time you worked him five-eighths by himself, 1:02 4/5… 1:02 4/5.' He said that (Hall of Fame rider Jerry) Bailey tried to shake him up one morning and all Cigar did was throw his head at him! Sovereignty doesn't quite do that. But he's kinda the same way.”

Mott nodded his head and added of the once-in-a-lifetime Cigar, “1:02 and change. 1:03, that was it.”

Mott continued, “(Sovereignty)'s not what you'd call a brilliant work horse. I've had horses that breeze like–whew, look at that! He does his work, but he only does what he has to do. He gives you the impression that there's probably more there. You work him with another and he hits the wire, and he's like, 'Ok, I'm done.'”

Sovereignty was still a maiden at this time a year ago before graduating with authority while making his two-turn debut in the GIII Street Sense S. at third asking at Churchill Downs Oct. 27. He was highlighted in these same pages following a late-running debut fourth on the Travers card last summer.

Sovereignty | Sherackatthetrack

“Just watching his first race, even though he was fourth, it was pretty impressive for a horse finishing fourth,” Mott said. “It was an impressive fourth if there is such a thing.”

Sovereignty will ship to Southern California Oct. 22 and have his final breeze for the Classic at Del Mar, per Mott.

The mouth-watering line-up for the $7-million centerpiece could potentially feature a rematch between last year's top three finishers Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), Fierceness (City of Light) and Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}); two-time Grade I winner in 2025 Mindframe (Constitution); record-setting GI Santa Anita Handicap winner Locked (Gun Runner); and top sophomores Journalism (Curlin) and Baeza (McKinzie). Sierra Leone, Fierceness, Mindframe and Locked are all 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard.'

“If they all turn up healthy and well, it will be a Classic for the ages,” Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said by phone from Kentucky.

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