Kentucky Derby Winner Sovereignty May Miss the Breeders' Cup Classic

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is setting up to be one of the best the sport has ever seen. Days before the World Championship showdown at Del Mar, the race’s brightest star has become ill.

Shortly after post positions were drawn, 2025 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty began suffering from a fever. Trainer Bill Mott said the horse’s temperature was still elevated when they met him in his stall this morning.

“As of right now, there’s a possibility that he won’t make the race on Saturday. If we don’t feel like he’s 100%, he’s not gonna run,” Mott told reporters.

Blood samples have been taken and the horse has received some medication. Fortunately, Sovereignty has responded well to the medicine, but there is a lot of time between now and Saturday night.

“I’d like to give myself 10% wiggle room to monitor him for obviously the next 4-5 days, but until tomorrow, I think it’s very important what happens throughout the day and overnight,” he added.

“If his temperature remains normal, which it is right now, if it remains normal throughout the day and night, and we look at him tomorrow and he’s still eating and he looks good and the bloodwork comes back with a positive look to it, we’re gonna re-evaluate. We’re gonna re-evaluate every day, several times a day, but right now I just want everybody to know.”

Mott has a background as a vet. His critics believe that’s made him a little too over-cautious with his horses. After all, Sovereignty did skip the Preakness because of the short period in between Triple Crown races, but returned to dominate the Belmont before running away with the Travers Stakes.

This edition of the Breeders’ Cup Classic was setting up to be the third and most likely final chapter of the saga between Sovereignty and Journalism. Those aren’t the only noteworthy names in the field, either.

The third-place finisher in the Derby and Belmont, Baeza, is 15-1. Sierra Leone hit the tote board in two Triple Crown races before capturing last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. There’s a dangerous threat on the rail, too. Fierceness won last year’s Travers before finishing second to Sierra Leone in the Classic, and he’s got two Grade I wins this year, including a victory over Journalism in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

Sovereignty can make the case as the greatest horse of the last 50 years with a win on Saturday. A late scratch would make this the sport’s greatest “what if…”

Breeders’ Cup Classic Post Positions, Odds

There are 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races on Friday and Saturday at Del Mar. Peacock will broadcast all of the action from where the surf meets the turf. NBC will be live from 3:30-7 PM ET on Saturday, with a 6:25 PM ET post time for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Post Position	Horse Name	Jockey	Odds
1	Fierceness	John Velazquez	4-1
2	Baeza	Hector I. Berrios	15-1
3	Nevada Beach	Mike Smith	20-1
4	Contrary Thinking	Florent Geroux	50-1
5	Forever Young (JPN)	Ryusei Sakai	6-1
6	Sovereignty	Junior Alvarado	6-5
7	Sierra Leone	Flavien Prat	8-1
8	Mindframe	Irad Ortiz Jr.	10-1
9	Journalism	Jose Ortiz	10-1
10	Antiquarian	Luis Saez	15-1