Sovereignty Claims $7 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic Victory

WHO:

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sovereignty, a 4-year-old Godolphin homebred colt by Into Mischief, was trained by William I. “Bill” Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado.

Thoroughbred Daily News - The Classic’s top three were Sovereignty, The Puma (trained by Gustavo Delgado), and Knightsbridge, a Godolphin homebred trained by Mott. Forever Young, the defending champion and 8-5 favorite, finished fifth.

IJR - Sovereignty was trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado.

Heavy.com - Trainer Bill Mott called Sovereignty “a real classic, a runner.” Mott said: “It was great, we had to miss the Breeders’ Cup last year and the team kept him in training and had the opportunity to showcase him again this year.”

Thoroughbred Daily News - Mott said Sovereignty was “a once-in-a-lifetime horse” and “very special”; Godolphin’s Michael Banahan called him “a horse of a lifetime for us.”

WHAT:

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sovereignty won the Breeders’ Cup Classic by 1¾ lengths over The Puma; Knightsbridge finished third, a half-length behind The Puma.

IJR - Sovereignty won the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Thoroughbred Daily News - The race was listed with a $6,230,000 purse. Sovereignty earned $3,640,000; The Puma $1,190,000; and Knightsbridge $630,000.

Heavy.com - Sovereignty paid $5.94 to win, $4.16 to place, and $2.94 to show. The Puma paid $11.22 to place and $6.10 to show; Knightsbridge paid $3.76 to show. The $1 exacta paid $31.30, the $0.50 trifecta $72.65, and the $0.10 superfecta $131.71.

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sovereignty completed the 1¼-mile race in 2:00.36 and improved his lifetime record to 13-8-3-1, with earnings of $10,516,550.

Thoroughbred Daily News - Mott earned his third Classic win, following Cigar in 1995 and Drosselmeyer in 2011, and his 17th Breeders’ Cup Championships winner. Alvarado earned his fifth Breeders’ Cup win.

Thoroughbred Daily News - The win was Godolphin’s first Breeders’ Cup Classic victory after 19 previous starters without a win. Sovereignty became a Kentucky Derby–Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, joining American Pharoah, Alysheba, Authentic, Ferdinand, Sunday Silence, and Unbridled.

Heavy.com - Magnitude was scratched before the race.

WHERE:

Thoroughbred Daily News - The Classic was run at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

WHEN:

Thoroughbred Daily News - The Classic was held on the Breeders’ Cup program listed as Keeneland, 10-31.

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sovereignty’s prior season included a second-place finish in the Oaklawn Handicap, a third in the Stephen Foster Stakes, a win in the Whitney Stakes, and a missed Jockey Club Gold Cup after a foot abscess.

WHY:

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sovereignty had missed the previous Classic after developing shipping fever. A foot abscess later disrupted his season and caused him to miss the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

HOW:

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sovereignty raced in fifth behind early fractions of :23.54 and :47.64, made a sweeping move on the far turn, reached the lead at the stretch, and won. Mott conditioned him wearing a bar shoe; it was removed on race day.

Heavy.com - Sovereignty made a late move into first place; the article reported his pre-race odds shifted from 5-to-2 to 9-to-2, while Forever Young was initially 2-to-1 and also listed at 9-to-2 near post time.

Sovereignty swept past rivals late to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland. Bill Mott trained the Godolphin colt, ridden by Junior Alvarado, to victory. The Puma finished second, Knightsbridge third, and defending champion Forever Young placed fifth.