Sovereignty ruled the 3-year-old division in 2025.
A Godolphin homebred son of Into Mischief trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty won five graded stakes in 2025, including the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, and the DraftKings Travers Stakes – all Grade 1 races run at 1 1/4 miles. Those wins, coupled with victories in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 2 Jim Dandy, not only make him the favorite to be voted champion 3-year-old male but make him a top contender for Horse of the Year.
There were only two disappointments for Sovereignty in 2025. The first came in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park, where he finished second to Tappan Street. The second came in October at Del Mar, where Sovereignty had to be scratched from the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic due to a fever.
Coincidentally, an illness delayed Sovereignty’s 3-year-old debut, which came in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 1, a race he won by a neck over River Thames.
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Four weeks later, in the Florida Derby, Sovereignty had the outside post in the 10-horse field and needed a substitute rider, as regular jockey Junior Alvarado was injured in a spill six days before the race. While jockey Manny Franco did nothing wrong in the Florida Derby, he did impart to Mott that Sovereignty appeared to lose his action around the far turn, which could have led to his defeat.
Sovereignty did not lose again.
Despite clipping heels soon after the start of the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty had a relatively clean trip, rallying from 16th in the 19-horse field and splashing his way to a 1 1/2-length victory over favored Journalism.
A few days later, Godolphin representatives and Mott announced that Sovereignty would skip the Preakness to focus on the Belmont Stakes and a summer campaign.
A fresh Sovereignty awaited Preakness winner Journalism at Saratoga for the Belmont Stakes. Racing closer to the pace than anticipated under Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty galloped to a three-length victory, again beating Journalism.
That newfound running style became the norm for Sovereignty, who in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy defeated Baeza – third in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont – by one length, edging clear from him late.
There were few willing opponents for Sovereignty in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 23 at Saratoga. Sent off as the 3-10 favorite, Sovereignty galloped to a 10-length victory over Bracket Buster. The margin of victory tied for the fourth largest in the 156-year history of the race, and the final time of 2:00.89 equaled the fifth fastest.
“His races have been very, very impressive,” Mott said after the Travers. “The final furlong of this race was very good, probably equal to the [Kentucky] Derby. The Derby, the way it was run and on such a sloppy track and he had to overcome so much, [18] horses. [It was] a much smaller field today, but the way he looked out there on the racetrack was incredible.”
Sovereignty will get the chance to race as a 4-year-old, as he was to join Mott’s barn at Payson Park right around the start of 2026. His connections said they will evaluate him after six weeks of training before mapping out his first target of the year.
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