Breeders' Cup Classic: With Sovereignty, Bill Mott looking at twice-in-a-lifetime

Coverage presented by

LEXINGTON, Ky. - When you train a horse that won 16 consecutive races and was named Horse of the Year twice as was Cigar, it’s hard to think a horse could come into one’s barn who could compare.

In Sovereignty, however, trainer Bill Mott found his second once-in-a-lifetime horse.

Sovereignty reached Cigar-level heights for Mott by winning Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland. The win came 31 years after Cigar capped a 10 for 10 season by winning the Classic at Belmont Park.

For Mott, it’s the fact that Sovereignty had such great success as a 3-year-old that allows him to deem Sovereignty as good as Cigar, who started his winning streak late in his 4-year-old season and went through his 5 and into his 6-year-old season.

“It was so meaningful to win the Derby and the Travers with him and now a Breeders’ Cup Classic, I think that’s probably the difference and, believe me, take nothing away from Cigar, he was a great horse,” Mott said Sunday morning. “Cigar was a little older when he started his run of 16 in a row and that’s pretty special in itself. Your name gets attached to great horses. Lucien Laurin is attached to Secretariat. When I think of Lucien Luarin I think of Secretariat. when somebody mentions my name I wonder if they’ll think of Cigar or Sovereignty.”

Cigar was a two-time Horse of the Year (1995-96) and Mott believes Saturday’s victory in the Classic coupled with his win in the Grade 1 Whitney in August should earn Sovereignty his second consecutive Horse of the Year award.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt,” Mott said. “There are other years you’d have to quibble about it, but I don’t know who would take that spot, or what name you would put in front of him. He showed it yesterday and I’m glad that he did that because it probably would have been very difficult to make him Horse of the Year off of one win in the Whitney, even though it was a tremendous race and he proved he was back. I think this probably confirmed it.”

Cigar didn’t make it as a stallion, proving to be infertile. Sovereignty left Keeneland around 8 a.m. Sunday morning for Jonabell Farm, Godolphin’s breeding operation, in Lexington.

Sovereignty was accompanied to Jonabell by Knightsbridge, who finished third in the Classic after setting the pace. Knightsbridge had won two Grade 3 stakes around one turn at Gulfstream in the winter, the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup at 1 1/8 miles and the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles.

“What a nice horse he is,” Mott said. “At a mile we know how good he is and he showed the class to be good enough to win a Grade 1 at a mile-and-a-quarter and he finished close to Sovereignty yesterday. Really a very nice horse, I’m sure he’s going to be real popular horse in the breeding shed.”

Mott said losing Sovereignty and Knightsbridge to retirement means he’ll have to start over.

“I just got to hope one of these 2-year-olds shows up and steps up.” Mott said. “So far, I’m waiting.”

Forever Young, the 2025 Classic winner who finished fifth on Saturday, is scheduled to return to Japan on Wednesday, along with a Japanese contingent that includes Sprint winner T O Elvis and Classic fourth-place finisher T O Password.

Kate Hunter, the Japanese liaison for media and the Breeders’ Cup, said Forever Young “doesn’t have any issues” out of the race. Forever Young was quite agitated in the paddock.

Hunter said owner Susumu Fujita and trainer Yoshito Yahagi will discuss what may be next for Forever Young, including potential retirement. Forever Young is a two-time winner of the Saudi Cup. He won 12 of 17 starts and earned $32,523,590.

The trio of 3-year-olds from the Classic - runner-up The Puma, sixth-place finisher Golden Tempo and last-place finisher Napoleon Solo - are all expected to run again next year.

Trainer Gustavo Delgado said The Puma will likely ship to Gulfstream on Wednesday. Delgado said he would like to keep the horse with him at Gulfstream and, if he’s doing well, the Pegasus on Jan. 30 would be considered.

“Second to Sovereignty is very good,” Delgado said. “The future is very, very good for him.”

Golden Tempo, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, was scheduled to get examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, trainer Cherie DeVaux said. DeVaux’s plan is to give Golden Tempo 30 days off unless Bramlage recommends more time.

DeVaux said if all is well, she would likely plot a late winter return for Golden Tempo, potentially in a race like the New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds on March 20.

Napoleon Solo finished last in the Classic and trainer Chad Summers deduced that his horse didn’t handle the track. Summers said Napoleon Solo might run back in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile at Belmont Park on Dec. 5 as a way to get to the $20 million Saudi Cup in February.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.