Sovereignty, the leading 3-year-old in the country and a leading contender for Horse of the Year honors, returned to the work tab Saturday morning in Saratoga, breezing an easy half-mile in 49.11 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.
Working by himself and kept several paths off the rail by exercise rider Neil Poznansky, Sovereignty went his first quarter in 24.60 seconds, got his final quarter in 24.51 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.99. It was Sovereignty’s first work back since he won the Grade 1 Travers by 10 lengths on Aug. 23. Sovereignty is preparing to make his next start in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
“Neil thought he went well, felt good was moving well,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He did everything as well as could be expected.”
Mott, who hadn’t seen Sovereignty in a week owing to a vacation, was asked how Sovereignty looked to him.
“He looks like he was breathing fire,” Mott said.
Saturday’s move is likely one of five workouts Sovereignty will have in Saratoga before shipping to California where he will likely have his final workout at Del Mar, the site of this year’s Breeders’ Cup.
Sovereignty, a son of Into Mischief owned and bred by Godolphin, has won five of six starts this year including the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers, all Grade 1 stakes for 3-year-olds. Sovereignty also won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 2 Jim Dandy. His lone defeat this year came to Tappan Street, to whom he ran second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
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