Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty’s team continued to be amazed at how well Godolphin’s exceptional 3-year-old colt has recovered from his lengthy battle with runner-up Journalism last Saturday at Churchill Downs, even though his eligibility for the 150th Preakness Stakes on May 17 at Pimlico was still up in the air Monday morning. Sovereignty again devoured his evening food in 20 minutes on Sunday, said to assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy, who manages the Churchill Downs operation for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. McCarthy remarked, “Another repeat performance.” One horse who never skips an oat is him. Naturally, we keep a careful eye on that since (not eating) could indicate that anything is off. However, we put him in his tub once more, and after 20 minutes, he finished his meal and was staring for more.”
Before rising behind Journalism and making a wide sweep down the homestretch to pass the favorite by 1 1/2 lengths, Sovereignty settled close to the back of the 19-horse Derby pack. “All things considered, we had three fantastic weeks of training here,” McCarthy remarked. For us, the walkover proceeded flawlessly. He saddled really well. It was beyond of our control until we got Junior Alvarado, the jockey, legged up. However, if you were to look back on everything we had done to get there, you would conclude that there was nothing at all that we would have done differently. And when one is going out there, that is a pleasant sense to have.
For 29 years, McCarthy has been employed at Mott. Last October, when the strapping Into Mischief colt won his maiden race at 1 1/16 miles in Churchill Downs’ Street Sense (G3), he had Sovereignty in his barn. Tiztastic, the future winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2), finished second that day. Sandman, the winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1), finished third. While the Hall of Fame trainer is located at Payson Park in Indiantown, Florida, McCarthy also oversees Mott’s Gulfstream Park winter division. After a four-month break, Sovereignty won the Fountain of Youth (G2) by a neck over River Thames after running twice at Gulfstream Park. Manny Franco replaced the injured Alvarado in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1), marking Sovereignty’s comeback. He trailed Tappan Street, who wound up in second place up missing the Derby with a leg injury.
McCarthy remarked of Sovereignty, “He had a huge frame to him as a 2-year-old here.” He is a large horse. I would say that he had filled that up quite impressively when he first arrived in Gulfstream. We hoped to win on his second start down there, but sometimes losing teaches the horse that they need to learn to dig in for the next lesson. On Saturday, I believe, we witnessed that. He and Journalism were shoulder to shoulder as they headed home. Who was the strongest? From there, it was going to be a horse race. On the satellite radio program At The Races with Steve Byk on Monday morning, Godolphin’s director of bloodstock, Michael Banahan, reaffirmed that a decision is likely “in the next couple of days” about running in the Preakness Stakes.
Banahan said Byk, “We completely respect what the Triple Crown means for the industry, for racing in America.” Above all, the horse’s best interests will be taken into consideration when making the decision. … He appears to have recovered well from the race. He did require minor medical attention for a scrape on his pastern. We’ll simply have to wait and watch how he recovers and how energetic he is. “Is he going to run in the Preakness?” is the question that is always posed as soon as the winner crosses the finish line under the Twin Spires. We spoke with the Pimlico staff over the phone on Sunday morning and promised to take it into account. We are grateful for their invitation to run in the Preakness,” Banahan continued. “(Trainer Bill Mott) will see how he responds, how the team thinks the horse is doing, and we’ll huddle up in probably in the next couple of days.
We need to get him positioned to accomplish that if he is being pulled in that direction, so we won’t wait for too long. According to assistant trainer Justin Curran, who oversees trainer Michael McCarthy’s Churchill Downs section in Southern California, the Kentucky Derby runner-up and defeated favorite Journalism is progressing nicely and is probably going to start training again on Wednesday. The Preakness has not been decided. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, and Elayne Stables 5 are the owners of Journalism. Following Journalism’s victory in Santa Anita’s San Felipe (G2), the Coolmore affiliates Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith acquired the breeding rights to the horse and are also lessees of the racing ownership. Louisville has seen rain for four days in a row, and another careless track Monday has impacted training for some horses.
In order to keep an eye on the track and weather while deciding which members of his Pimlico-bound entourage, including Rodriguez, a Preakness contender, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert delayed his departure to California. Regarding the Wood Memorial (G2) winner, whom Baffert removed from the Derby because to a minor but premature foot bruising, he stated, “We’re planning on going with Rodriguez.” “I doubt I’m taking Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old champion who set a fast pace from the no. 1 post and finished in 15th place in the Derby.” After seeing how the horses emerged from the Derby, Baffert, a record eight-time Preakness champion, thought about how quickly his choice can change.
Regarding the 2001 defeated Derby favorite who went on to win the Preakness, Belmont Stakes (G1), Haskell Invitational (G1), and Travers (G1) to earn the title of horse of the year, he remarked, “I remember Point Given, I wasn’t taking him.” “Looking at Lucky, he refused to leave.” On Monday, I called them and informed them that we were leaving. We’re not just going, we’re going to prevail. A thorough evaluation of the horses takes roughly a week and five days. On Monday, Rodriguez ran across the muddy dirt of Churchill Downs. Baffert stated, “The foot is fine now.” The incident was one of such. When (the bruise) is still fresh, we cannot run a horse over the track in such manner. Goal Oriented, who won his second game in two appearances, a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the Derby undercard, is being considered for Pimlico’s Sir Barton Stakes.
On Monday, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas announced his intention to enter American Promise, a horse owned by BC Stable, in the Preakness. American Promise finished 16th out of 19 in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday after a very challenging journey. According to Lukas, the American Promise was twice jeopardized during the Derby. Citizen Bull, who drew the rail, bore out in his attempt to take the lead from the beginning, which caused the first issue. Post 4 featured American Promise. “What we wanted to do was not possible,” Lukas remarked. “The one-hole coming over at the gate wiped him out.” In fact, that was a thrashing for the three of us. He then made amends ground, and when he was ready to make a move, they shut him down again.”
Lukas, 89, is going to try to win the Preakness for the eighth time in a row. Last year, he won his sixth race aboard MyRacehorse’s Seize the Gry. The stakes record for wins is held by Baffert, who is picking Rodriguez to win the Preakness. American Promise was 12-1 going into the Virginia Derby, which she won by 7 3/4 lengths at Colonial Downs on March 15. The son of 2018 Triple Crown victor Justify finished 38 lengths behind Godolphin’s winner, Sovereignty, after all the difficulties he faced. “The best horse prevailed,” Lukas declared. It’s not common for the Derby winner to be the best horse, but on this particular trip, it was. Bill Mott’s horse put out a really strong effort. In fact, Journalism, the horse in second place, did a great job as well.
In 1980, Lukas’s first Preakness runner, Codex, took first place. In his 33rd Preakness, Lukas will start American Promise as his 49th player. The runner-up from Bathhouse Row would not compete in the Preakness, Lukas noted. Clever Again, a Preakness candidate who won the March 30 Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park at a two-turn mile in just his third career appearance, had his workout postponed for the third day by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and a partnership connected to the global Coolmore racing and stud operation, Clever Again made her debut in April 2024 and finished second by a head at 4 1/2 furlongs. She was then put on hold until she won her maiden race at Oaklawn in February, which was a 1 1/16-mile event.
With Keeneland’s Lexington Stakes (G2) winner training at the Lexington track, trainer Brendan Walsh has Gosger under consideration for the Preakness. On May 1, Gosger completed five-eighths of a mile in 1:00.0. Gosger competes for the breeding company of Harvey Clarke, who bred and sold I’ll Have Another, the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. The dam of I’ll Have Another is Gosger’s second dam, Arch’s Gal Edith. Prior to finishing third (only a hair behind second) in the Preakness, which was won by Derby runner-up Exaggerator, his sire, Nyquist, had won the 2016 Derby. River Thames from WinStar Farm, CHC, Pantofel Stable, and Wachtel Stable, who came in second to the Kentucky Derby victor On March 1 at Gulfstream Park, Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth (G2) is scheduled to run in the center jewel of the Triple Crown after bypassing the Kentucky Derby.
The son of Maclean’s Music, who was trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, finished third in the April 8 Blue Grass (G1) in his most recent outing. Heart of Honor, the runner-up in the April 5 UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan, is being pointed to the Preakness by trainer Jamie Osborne on behalf owners Jim and Claire Limited. After finishing second in his career start at Southwell in England last fall, the English-bred son of Honor A. P. Meydan went on to win twice and finish second three times. Pay Billy of RKTN Racing won the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park on April 19, earning him a spot in the Preakness. Improbable’s son, coached by Mike Gorham, had previously won the Private Terms at Laurel.
