Sovereignty Becomes "What If" as Horse is Scratched from Breeders' Cup Classic
What could have been. Sovereignty emerged as a star in the sport of horse racing. Ahead of what could have been the horse’s crowning achievement, he caught a fever that will sideline him from Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Kentucky Derby winner spiked a fever the night post positions were drawn. Instead of immediately removing the horse from the race, they gave him 24 hours before trainer Bill Mott ultimately announced Sovereignty would not join the star-studded field in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
His Triple Crown rival, Journalism, is still set to race, but the four-year-olds will most likely be the top betting choices. Sierra Leone won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, Fierceness is coming off a big win at Del Mar in the Pacific Classic, but Forever Young may be the top choice with a Saudi Cup title on the Japanese horse’s resume.
Set that race aside for a moment. Sovereignty is clearly horse racing’s greatest “what if” in the 21st century.
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Sovereignty is the only horse to ever win the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy Stakes, and Travers. Despite his accomplishments, there is no Triple Crown, thanks to the connections’ decision to withhold him from the Preakness Stakes. A Breeders’ Cup Classic win over a star-studded field, including his 3-year-old rival, would have cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever do it. He had a chance to pass his greatest test and show the world greatness. Instead, he’ll probably be retired to stud. This sucks. There’s really no other way to put it.
Breeders’ Cup Post Positions, Preview
It’s a sad day in the horse racing world, yet this Breeders’ Cup Classic still packs quite a punch. Seven different horses can win it, and it wouldn’t be surprising. That gives bettors plenty of wagering options. We discussed those with Pete Fornatale from In the Money Media in our Breeders’ Cup preview. NBC and Peacock will cover all of the races this weekend at Del Mar, with the Classic set for a 6:25 PM ET post time on Saturday evening.
| 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 |
| 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 |
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