SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sierra Leone, the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, and Sovereignty, the horse who figures to be favored to win the 2025 Classic, put in workouts minutes apart Sunday over the Oklahoma training track on a cool, but dry morning in Saratoga.
Sierra Leone, working in company with the maiden Duration, went a half-mile in 48.54 seconds with a strong gallop out. Shortly thereafter, Sovereignty, working in company with recent maiden winner Playa Del Mar, went five furlongs in 59.94 seconds, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.03.
Both were done when the track re-opened following the first renovation break shortly after 8 a.m.
Sierra Leone, under exercise rider Chris Bond, started just a bit in front of Duration and went in splits of 12.91 seconds, 24.62 and got his last quarter in 23.92. He left his company past the wire, galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.94 and six furlongs in 1:13.87.
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“Horse worked great, continues to train extremely well,” trainer Chad Brown said.
Brown plans to give Sierra Leone two more works at Saratoga before sending him to Southern California on Oct. 26.
Sierra Leone won the Grade 1 Whitney and finished second in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup after encountering some early trouble when Mindframe was bumped by other horses and unseated jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Less than three minutes after Sierra Leone finished his work, Sovereignty began his move, starting about three lengths behind Playa Del Mar, an Aug. 22 winner at Ellis Park. Sovereignty went his opening eighth in 12.41, the quarter in 23.94, and three furlongs in 35.66 while drawing even with his workmate. At about the eighth pole, exercise rider Neil Poznansky asked Sovereignty to finish and he did so, drawing away from the workmate as he got his last quarter in 24.28 seconds.
This was the second straight week that Sovereignty has worked in company with Playa Del Mar, a Godolphin-owned 3-year-old.
“Just like last time, two seconds faster though, he did it the exact same way,” Poznansky said. “He was on top of that other horse at the eighth pole and I asked him and that was it.”
Trainer Bill Mott said Sovereignty tends to “idle a little bit” once he passes his company.
“The gallop out is not a big strong gallop out,” Mott said. “I’m sure if he had gotten after him, he would have galloped out faster. He went from the wire to the seven-eighths pole in :14, which is just kind of him, but he had done enough during the work. Over this track, that’s very good.”
Sovereignty will bring a four-race winning streak into the Classic having taken, in succession, the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy and Travers.
Mott plans to work Sovereignty one more time at Saratoga before shipping him to California on Oct. 22. He will have his final work at Del Mar.
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