Take a look into Sovereignty's past performances, jockey, trainer, Belmont Stakes odds and full analysis heading into the third leg of the Triple Crown.
Opting out of the Preakness Stakes (G1) may prove to be a savvy move for Sovereignty. The son of Into Mischief will enter the 2025 Belmont Stakes off a five-week layoff—an approach that has worked well in recent years. In fact, three of the last four Belmont winners came into the race with exactly that rest pattern.
Since 2000, 14 Belmont champions have skipped the Preakness Stakes and thrived with a longer break, giving credence to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s decision to keep his Derby winner fresh for the final leg of the Triple Crown.
On May 3, Sovereignty conquered a full field of 18 rivals in the slop at Churchill Downs, putting on a commanding performance in the Kentucky Derby. With the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga now run at the same 1¼-mile distance as the Derby—rather than the traditional 1½ miles—conditions may once again favor Sovereignty’s running style. The projected field is much smaller, and his late-closing burst could prove devastating down the long Saratoga stretch.
There’s even talk of more rain in the days leading up to Belmont Stakes Day, which could further tilt the conditions in his favor. After all, Sovereignty showed he could handle a wet surface under pressure and still deliver a decisive win.
The colt has been a model of consistency throughout the Triple Crown season. He uncorked a dramatic rally to edge River Thames by a neck in the Fountain of Youth (G2), followed that with a runner-up finish in the Florida Derby (G1) where he was gaining ground late on Tappan Street, and then solidified his credentials with a gritty win over Journalism in the Run for the Roses.
If Bill Mott says Sovereignty is stronger and more aggressive, we believe him. The horse to beat.
Notes: A Derby-Belmont double has been accomplished 11 times, but not for 30 years since Thunder Gulch in 1995. Mott is seeking a second Belmont win: the trainer won with Drosselmeyer in 2010. Alvarado, currently appealing a fine and suspension for his Derby ride aboard Sovereignty (for excessive use of the crop), is seeking his first Belmont win (0-for-3) to go along with his first Derby win on May 3. Godolphin-owned Essential Quality won the 2021 Belmont Stakes. Sovereignty is a fifth-generation descendant of Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown champion. In two workouts since the Derby, Sovereignty, who arrived in Saratoga on May 7, covered 4 furlongs in 49.76 seconds on May 17 and 5 furlongs in 1:02.54 on May 24.
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.
