Two days after Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo tuned up for the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland, 2025 Derby winner Sovereignty turned in his final breeze Sunday before a classic showdown featuring two Derby winners in the Classic for the first time since 1991.
Sovereignty, the 2025 Horse of the Year, worked 4 furlongs in 48 1/5 seconds on Sunday under assistant trainer Neil Poznansky. Winner of the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 8 in his last race, Sovereignty worked in company with Thunder Roll.
“It could not have gone any better,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said as the 4-year-old owned by Godolphin prepares for what likely will be the final race of his career.
“We were pleased with the way it worked out. Her stalked (Thunder Roll) down the back and around the turn and, when they straightened up in the lane, in three jumps, he engaged him, and they finished down to the wire together.”
A year ago, Sovereignty was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic the Wednesday before the race 2025 due to a fever.
Poznansky told Mott: "It was the best he’s worked in a long, long time.”
Japan star Forever Young is back for an attempt at a second straight Classic victory, and he and Sovereignty are considered the favorites.
The post-position draw and morning-line odds will be announced on Monday beginning at 5 p.m. ET.
A big decision looms about the Classic -- whether Knightsbridge, also owned by Godolphin and trained by Mott, will run or end up being entered in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Golden Tempo, who posted a 4-furlong work in 48.40 at Keeneland on Friday – was back on the track Sunday for a light jog under Enrique Miranda, assistant to trainer Cherie DeVaux.
“He had good energy and loves the cold air,” Miranda said. “He’s in good order. He’s a professional and loves what he does. He’s a big man now – he has grown quite a bit. He used to be a little chubby when he first started, but he’s toned up now and is very fit.”
Golden Tempo, who like Sovereignty also won the Belmont Stakes (G1), has been training at Keenland for the Classic since finishing third in the Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 29.
The $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), the second richest race at this weekend's Breeders' Cup, is just about owned by European runners.
The last U.S.-bred winner of the Turf was Chad Brown-trained Bricks and Mortar in 2019 at Santa Anita. Since then, it's been Ireland breds Ethical Diamond (2025), Rebel's Romance (2024), Auguste Rodin (2023), Rebel's Romance (2022), England-bred Yibir, and Ireland-bred Tarnawa (2020).
Burnham Square, a 4-year-old Liam's Map colt, will surely go off as a longshot in the 1 ½-mile race, but trainer Ian Wilkes is feeling good about his chances after a 4-furlong work in 48.00 at Skylight Training Center on Sunday.
“The main thing is just keeping him happy, where he comes out of it wanting to do more,” Wilkes said. “I just let him gallop out, and today I didn’t let him gallop out longer. He was wanting to do more, so that’s what I wanted.”
Burnham Square has fared quite well since being moved to the turf last summer after winning the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) but then running sixth in the Derby and later fifth in the Haskell Stakes (G1).
From April-through August, he reeled over four straight turf win, starting with the Elkhorn Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. He then won the Louisville Stakes and the Chorleywood Stakes, both at Churchill Downs, and the Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs. His last race, though, he ran seventh in the Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational (G2) on Sept. 5.
Wilkes attributed the loss to oppressive heat and shipping difficulties.
“That was tough,” Wilkes said. “It was just so hot, and he’s not a great shipper. He wasn’t too bad, but he just never settled. He was hot all day. He was very hot. He just overheated. Took a long time to cool out.”
Some of the top European horses are passing on the Turf, including Ombudsman, Minnie Hauk, and Lambourn, but defending champ Ethical Diamond, along with fellow Ireland-breds including Bay City Roller, Diamond Necklace, El Cordobes, Ethical Diamond, Survie and Tiffany are pre-entered.
The post-position draw is on Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
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The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
