Sovereignty...and others.

[sidetracker]

I know this is a harness racing website. But I am somewhat of a fan of thoroughbred racing. Those people don't know how lucky they are, and that anybody even cares. Depriving horse racing fans a healthy horse attempting to win the triple crown is a shame. Maybe twenty years from now, when the last horse racing fan is dead, the "deprivers" will know.

[Scooteroo]

In the old days when horses ran more frequently than once a month like they do now, the Kentucky Derby winner would never consider skipping the Preakness, but these days the top horses are treated like glass and will skip a big race or scratch a horse because he sneezed which is unfortunate. His owner, Godolphin are the larger owners in the world, and the richest, so winning the Triple Crown might not mean as much to them as it would to most people.

[The Answer]

In the old days when horses ran more frequently than once a month like they do now, the Kentucky Derby winner would never consider skipping the Preakness, but these days the top horses are treated like glass and will skip a big race or scratch a horse because he sneezed which is unfortunate. His owner, Godolphin are the larger owners in the world, and the richest, so winning the Triple Crown might not mean as much to them as it would to most people.

With Godolphin owning him should make it easier to run in the Preakness. Some smaller owners would worry about devaluing the horse for stud duty. They don’t need the money! Any owner that doesn’t care about a Triple Crown winner shouldn’t be buying horses. Of all owners Godolphin should want to promote racing. Very disappointing and they should get ripped by everyone for no going.

[Scooteroo]

They should want to run him in there, but maybe they don't think it's a good spot for him with a much smaller field anticipated which probably means a slower pace and not favorable for closers like him on a speed favoring track. When you have as much money as Godolphin does you could care less what other people have to say.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I am not surprised. Bill Mott doesn't want to chase the TC unless he is very confident he can win it. He is going to put the horse firs, and based upon that, that's what he'll tell the owner. Doesn't seem like the kind of horse that the Preakness would play to, but then again, what do I know about t-breds, LOL. All things considered, if Bill Mott thought he could win it, he'd recommend going. Godolphin is in the stallion business. They breed their own to race, not sell, and they sell stud fees.

[JT]

An article I read said they want to try and "save" the horse to race as a 4 year old. I'll believe that when I see it. If true, then it is a good decision. Perhaps American Pharoah and Justify winning it recently influenced them a little because going for something that hadn't been done since 1978 would be to tempting to pass up. Maybe they are skipping The Preakness because alot of purists would argue it's not a true triple crown since The Belmont is at Saratoga at 1 1/4 again this year Whatever the reason it is a bummer. I wish the best in our sport wouldn't go to stud after their 3 year old campaign 

[Papillon]

he is skipping the Preakness and targeting The Belmont

When Sovereignty runs in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7, he will not be attempting to win the Triple Crown.

The connections of Sovereignty on Tuesday said they would skip the Preakness on May 17 and point to the Belmont, which, for the second straight year, will be run at Saratoga and at 1 1/4 miles, as opposed to its usual distance of 1 1/2 miles. 

Bill Mott, the trainer of Sovereignty, said while the horse came out of the Kentucky Derby in good order, he believes the horse would benefit from more time between races.

“We want to give the horse more time and take a shot at the Belmont,” Mott said Tuesday. “I think the Triple Crown’s a great thing, it’s a huge challenge and any horse that does it is great. I don’t believe anybody in our camp feels strongly about doing it.”

Mott said Sovereignty, owned and bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Godolphin, was scheduled to leave Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning by van for Saratoga.

Mott and Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin, said Sunday morning that they were focused on the horse having a career and not so much the Triple Crown. One of the few races Mott has coveted to win is the Travers Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile race to be held on Aug. 23 at Saratoga.




Mott said he is hopeful that Sovereignty could even race as a 4-year-old with perhaps a race like the Dubai World Cup, a race that Sheikh Mohammed basically created, as part of a 2026 campaign.

“I guess I’d love to extend his career a little past his 3-year-old year if that’s the decision the Godolphin team is going to make toward the end of the year,” Mott said. “Of course, we’ve got to make it to the end of the year.”

Sovereignty, a Godolphin homebred son of Into Mischief, won the Fountain of Youth on March 1 and was second in the Florida Derby on March 29 before his victory in the Kentucky Derby.

Rich Strike, in 2022, won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 80-1 and skipped the Preakness to run in the Belmont Stakes where he finished sixth. Rich Strike raced five more times after the Belmont but did not win.

Country House, who won the 2019 Derby via disqualifation for Mott, never raced again after that victory due to illness and later injury.

Justify, in 2018, was the last horse to win the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby and he would go on to sweep the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes. He was subsequently retired.

As far as this year’s Preakness goes, a decision is still pending regarding the participation of Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism. Over the last six years, only one Derby runner-up competed in the Preakness, that being Epicenter who finished second in the Preakness at 6-5.

Sovereignty’s defection is likely to attract more horses to the Preakness in the coming days. However, as of Tuesday, the field included American Promise, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, Clever Again, Gosger, Heart of Honor, Pay Billy, River Thames, and Rodriguez.

[The Answer]

he is skipping the Preakness and targeting The Belmont

When Sovereignty runs in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7, he will not be attempting to win the Triple Crown.

The connections of Sovereignty on Tuesday said they would skip the Preakness on May 17 and point to the Belmont, which, for the second straight year, will be run at Saratoga and at 1 1/4 miles, as opposed to its usual distance of 1 1/2 miles. 

Bill Mott, the trainer of Sovereignty, said while the horse came out of the Kentucky Derby in good order, he believes the horse would benefit from more time between races.

“We want to give the horse more time and take a shot at the Belmont,” Mott said Tuesday. “I think the Triple Crown’s a great thing, it’s a huge challenge and any horse that does it is great. I don’t believe anybody in our camp feels strongly about doing it.”

Mott said Sovereignty, owned and bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Godolphin, was scheduled to leave Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning by van for Saratoga.

Mott and Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin, said Sunday morning that they were focused on the horse having a career and not so much the Triple Crown. One of the few races Mott has coveted to win is the Travers Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile race to be held on Aug. 23 at Saratoga.




Mott said he is hopeful that Sovereignty could even race as a 4-year-old with perhaps a race like the Dubai World Cup, a race that Sheikh Mohammed basically created, as part of a 2026 campaign.

“I guess I’d love to extend his career a little past his 3-year-old year if that’s the decision the Godolphin team is going to make toward the end of the year,” Mott said. “Of course, we’ve got to make it to the end of the year.”

Sovereignty, a Godolphin homebred son of Into Mischief, won the Fountain of Youth on March 1 and was second in the Florida Derby on March 29 before his victory in the Kentucky Derby.

Rich Strike, in 2022, won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 80-1 and skipped the Preakness to run in the Belmont Stakes where he finished sixth. Rich Strike raced five more times after the Belmont but did not win.

Country House, who won the 2019 Derby via disqualifation for Mott, never raced again after that victory due to illness and later injury.

Justify, in 2018, was the last horse to win the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby and he would go on to sweep the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes. He was subsequently retired.

As far as this year’s Preakness goes, a decision is still pending regarding the participation of Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism. Over the last six years, only one Derby runner-up competed in the Preakness, that being Epicenter who finished second in the Preakness at 6-5.

Sovereignty’s defection is likely to attract more horses to the Preakness in the coming days. However, as of Tuesday, the field included American Promise, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, Clever Again, Gosger, Heart of Honor, Pay Billy, River Thames, and Rodriguez.

Journalism is definitely going!

[Scooteroo]

You wonder if Sovereignty skipping the Preakness came from Godolphin and Mott is just following orders.

[JT]

Yes papillon that is the article I had read. Thanks for posting 

[Harness racer]

You wonder if Sovereignty skipping the Preakness came from Godolphin and Mott is just following orders.

From what I read it all came from Godolphin higher ups.   

[sidetracker]

This cliche, "We're doing what's best for the horse" is BS. In reality, the best thing for the horse is to never race him in the first place. Let him be foaled, and just run around in a field all of his life. My thought is silly, I know. But a triple crown run is special. Eff The Breeders Cup, and a race half way around the world. Whew! I'm exhausted. I shouldn't care so much.

[Bitter Truth]

If this were any other winning connection coming off a major stakes win, when asked "Are you going to run
in [insert race here] in two weeks?' The answer would be "No way." Truth is that the question would  never
even be asked. Hell the vast majority of top T-Breds run less than ten times a year. Even at that rate it would be
every 5 weeks to race. Trying triple crown isn't for every Ky. Derby winner. Belmont with rest seems ideal,
Saratoga + 1mile 1/4 aside. Smart move even if people want to see him run.. It's their horse. Good for them.

[Dingus]

Trade that 19 post for something better, and I believe Baeza would have won the Derby, as he was only a fraction from getting 2nd.

[JT]

Trade that 19 post for something better, and I believe Baeza would have won the Derby, as he was only a fraction from getting 2nd.

You are probably correct, but that could be said about alot of races, playing the "What if" game. Or in other words if if's and buts  were candy and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas.