Breeders’ Cup: Sovereignty draws post 6, made 6-5 favorite for Classic

Sovereignty, winner of the Kentucky Derby and four other stakes this year, drew post 6 for Saturday’s $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, his first start against older horses.

Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott for Godolphin Racing, faces a tremendous field in the BC Classic at 1 1/4 miles, the richest race in North America. Linemaker David Aragona made Sovereignty a 6-5 favorite.

Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Forever Young – the first three finishers in the 2024 BC Classic at Del Mar – drew posts 7, 1, and 5.

Fierceness, second choice on the morning line at 4-1, is the only one of that trio to race in California this year, having won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 30 at Del Mar.

The Breeders' Cup Classic has a field of 10.

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In post position order, with riders, the inside half of the starting gate consists of Fierceness (John Velazquez), Baeza (Hector Berrios), Nevada Beach (Mike Smith), Contrary Thinking (Florent Geroux), and Forever Young (Ryusei Sakai).

The outside half is Sovereignty (Junior Alvarado), Sierra Leone (Flavien Prat), Mindframe (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Journalism (Jose Oritz), and Antiquarian (Luis Saez).

The field has combined to win 25 of 48 starts this year with cumulative earnings of $27,099,033.

The earnings range from $11,470,383 by Forever Young, who won the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia in February, to $91,640 by Contrary Thinking, who starts in the BC Classic as a pacesetter for Sierra Leone.

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