Sovereignty may have missed out on making Triple Crown immortality, but the colt remains firmly in the hunt for history, and for a title that could define his legacy: Horse of the Year.
This Saturday, Sovereignty lines up as the overwhelming favorite in the 2025 Travers Stakes, known as the “Midsummer Derby.” With a win, he can achieve something that has never been done before, and in the process, give Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott one of the few trophies still missing from his legendary career.
Bill Mott is no stranger to success. With Breeders’ Cup wins, Eclipse Awards, and a Hall of Fame induction to his name, he’s already cemented as one of the sport’s all-time greats. But remarkably, Mott has never won the Travers Stakes. That could all change on Saturday.
Sovereignty, who was brilliant in the Kentucky Derby and rebounded dominantly in the Belmont Stakes after skipping the Preakness, enters the Travers off a commanding victory in the Jim Dandy. That win was not just another line on the resume; it was a Saratoga statement.
If Sovereignty can take the Travers, he’ll become the first horse to ever sweep the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy, and Travers Stakes, an unprecedented Saratoga slam. And for Mott, it would finally secure the elusive Travers title, making it a career milestone in the most poetic of ways: with a generational horse.
While Sovereignty has looked unstoppable, Saratoga Race Course has a reputation for humbling even the mightiest. They don’t call it the Graveyard of Champions for nothing.
It was here that Man o’War suffered his only career defeat, and where Triple Crown heroes like Gallant Fox (defeated by Jim Dandy), Secretariat, and American Pharoah were famously upset in the Travers.
The nickname isn’t just a legend, it’s data-backed. According to Ed DeRosa, horses going off at less than 1-to-2 odds in Grade 1 races have only won one of their last seven. And although 9 of the 10 odds-on favorites in the Travers since 1994 have won, it’s that one, American Pharoah, that casts a long shadow. Can Sovereignty defy the Saratoga curse?
The presence of Sovereignty has clearly made an impact; only five horses are expected to enter the gate for Saturday’s $1.25 million race. Few want a piece of the likely Eclipse front-runner.
Still, challengers remain. Among them is Journalism, who finished second to Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes and skipped the Jim Dandy to arrive fresh. Others in the field are looking to make names for themselves by slaying the sport’s biggest dragon.
Post time is set for 6:14 PM ET, with live coverage from 3 to 6:30 PM ET on Fox Sports.
If Sovereignty wins on Saturday, the road to Horse of the Year becomes almost undeniable. He would have three of the most prestigious wins in the 3-year-old division under his belt. The only piece missing from a near-perfect campaign? A win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
That race, set for November at Del Mar, will bring the top older horses back into the equation, the likes of National Treasure, White Abarrio, and perhaps even a few international stars. It would be Sovereignty’s biggest test yet, but one that could cement his name in racing lore.
Win the Travers, and he enters the Classic as the front-runner for Horse of the Year. Win both, and you’re looking at a legend.
There’s a certain symmetry in the idea of Bill Mott, at age 71, checking off one of the final remaining boxes in his career with a horse like Sovereignty. A Travers win would not only rewrite the record books but symbolize a perfect alignment: master trainer, elite horse, and a moment that’s been decades in the making.
The stage is set. The field is small. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Sovereignty has the form. Mott has the experience. Now it’s just a matter of execution. If Sovereignty crosses the wire first on Saturday, history won’t just be made, it’ll be rewritten.
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.
