Mott says Sovereignty is ‘no better than 50-50' to make Jockey Club Gold Cup
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With each passing day it looks less and less likely that Sovereignty will make the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on the Sept. 18 opening-day card at Belmont Park.
Trainer Bill Mott said last Friday that Sovereignty, the 2025 Horse of the Year, had an abscess on his left hind foot, which forced him to miss a workout over the weekend. As of Monday, Sovereignty has not trained for three mornings and Mott indicated the horse would not be back on the work tab this weekend.
“It’s opened up, but now things have to dry out,” Mott said. “It’s going to take a while. He’s not going to be on the track this weekend.”
Mott hasn’t officially pulled the plug on the Gold Cup, but said Monday, “I’m no better than 50-50,” with a sense that realistically, it is less than that.
The Lukas Classic, run at 1 1/8 miles, at Churchill Downs on Sept. 26 would give Sovereignty an additional week, but it would require a ship and potentially then keeping the horse in Kentucky to train toward the Breeders’ Cup, which isn’t something Mott wants to do.
“I’m not going to rush him,” Mott said.
There is the option of training up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Sovereignty last raced on Aug. 8, when he won the Grade 1 Whitney here in authoritative fashion.
If Sovereignty doesn’t make the Gold Cup, Mott said it is possible Baeza, fourth in the Whitney, could be re-routed from an intended start in the Goodwood at Santa Anita on Sept. 26 to the Jockey Club. Mott said discussions with the owners were to take place this week to decide.
Mott also said he wouldn’t rule out running Stars and Stripes, winner of the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone Stakes on Aug. 13, in the Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles.
Meanwhile, Forever Young, the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and older dirt male champion, was scheduled to arrive in New York late Monday night/early Tuesday morning. He will have to do 42 hours of quarantine at Belmont from the time blood is drawn, likely Tuesday morning, which could potentially afford him the opportunity to train Thursday morning.
Forever Young has not run since finishing second, beaten one length by Magnitude, in the Dubai World Cup on March 28.
Others pointing to the Jockey Club include Banishing, Money Game, Phileas Fogg, and potentially the filly Nitrogen. Yo Daddy is possible as well.
Entries for the Sept. 18 opening day card will be taken on Saturday.
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