DEL MAR, Calif. – Having done all his serious preparation at home in Saratoga, Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty on Monday at Del Mar put in his final work for Saturday’s $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, breezing a half-mile in 49.83 seconds by himself. Under assistant trainer Neil Poznansky, who is Sovereignty’s work rider but not everyday exercise rider, Sovereignty went in splits of 12.95 and 25.06, getting his final quarter in 24.77, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.28. “He’s not going to put in a real spectacular work unless you have him with company,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He’s just going to go along at a nice pace. There’s no reason to think that wasn’t enough. Referring to a series of five-furlong works over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track, Mott added, “We had him in company the last three or four works. This track’s a little deep right now.” :: BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more Noting that fellow Classic contender Journalism went five furlongs in 1:01.88 on Sunday with a jockey on his back and in company, Mott said that Del Mar’s main track track “is obviously not lightning fast because [Journalism] was working in 59 [seconds] at Santa Anita.” Poznansky said he liked the way Sovereignty handled the surface and finished the work. “I know he’s not a great work horse by himself, but he took the bit again when he turned for home today, which is something new for him, so I was impressed,” Poznansky said. Mott said the purpose of Monday’s work was to let Sovereignty blow off a little steam. “They need to do something to open up their lungs a little bit and take a little edge off,” Mott said. “He was ready to do something. They get here, they’re galloping, they want to do a little more. We accommodated him.” Sovereignty is expected to be the favorite in a 10-horse field for the Classic that includes last year’s top three finishers – Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young – as well as Grade 1-winning older horses Mindframe and Antiquarian and Grade 1-winning 3-year-olds Journalism, Baeza, and Nevada Beach. Contrary Thinking was also expected to be entered as a pacemaker for Sierra Leone, with both horses trained by Chad Brown. Todd Pletcher’s trio of Classic contenders – Antiquarian, Fierceness, and Mindframe – were on the main track at 6 a.m. for easy one-mile gallops after arriving from Saratoga on Sunday afternoon. “Everyone flew in yesterday, settled in well. [We] just wanted to get them out and stretch their legs a little bit,” Pletcher said. Sierra Leone and Contrary Thinking also arrived Sunday, and both jogged once around the Del Mar main track. Baeza and Nevada Beach, both of whom worked Saturday at Santa Anita, galloped Monday at Del Mar, as did Forever Young, who is expected to have his final workout Tuesday morning. Ortiz in for Journalism work On Sunday, jockey Jose Ortiz made a cameo appearance at Del Mar to work three-time Grade 1 winner Journalism, whom he will ride for the first time in the Classic, replacing Umberto Rispoli. Shortly after 6:30 a.m. Pacific time, Ortiz guided Journalism through a five-furlong work in 1:01.88, per Welsch. Journalism, who went in company with Legitimate, a 3-year-old who won his maiden by 12 3/4 lengths in January but hasn’t raced since, got his final quarter in 24.18 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.31 and seven furlongs in 1:27.34, pulling up a mile in 1:41.91. ON SALE NOW: DRF Breeders' Cup Packages! Get everything you need to win and save big. “He’s a very straightforward horse – very classy and the work was beautiful. Just the way he did it was amazing. He did it the right way,” Ortiz said by phone from the private plane he was on that was taking him back to Louisville. “I’m very happy with him.” Ortiz, who flew in Saturday night after riding at Keeneland that afternoon, made it back to Churchill Downs to ride five mounts Sunday, finishing second in both the Street Sense Stakes on Universe and the Rags to Riches Stakes on The Grumpy Rabbit. Trainer Michael McCarthy and the owners chose to replace Rispoli – who rode Journalism to Grade 1 victories in the Preakness, Haskell, and Santa Anita Derby – following the colt’s second-place finish in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 30 at Del Mar. Ortiz felt it was important to get familiar with Journalism before the Classic. “There’s a lot at stake. It’s a huge race. We feel a little more comfortable getting to know him a little bit,” Ortiz said. “Very straightforward, very nice horse.” McCarthy wouldn’t get into specifics about why the rider change was made, but Journalism was a bit farther back in the Haskell and Pacific Classic than perhaps was desired. “Hopefully, we’ll go ahead and bounce on out of there and find ourselves in a nice tactical spot,” McCarthy said. Speaking of Ortiz, McCarthy said, “Jose’s having a phenomenal year. You could argue, if he has a bang-up Breeders’ Cup, that he could be right there in the thick of it for an Eclipse Award this year. Big race rider – we’ve had success together in the past.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.