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 Junior Alvarado celebrates aboard Sovereignty after winning the Classic. |
The $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) featured a field of 7 older horses (after Magnitude scratched) going 1 1/4 miles. Defending champion Forever Young was sent off as the 7-4 favorite off his win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) after finishing second in the Dubai World Cup (G1). In to challenge him included 2-1 second choice Sovereignty, winner of the Whitney (G1) after finishing third in the Stephen Foster (G1), and 7-2 third choice Knightsbridge, winner of the Monmouth Cup (G3) and Pacific Classic (G1).
 Sovereignty draws away down the stretch. |
Jockey Luis Saez sent Knightsbridge to the front first time by through fractions of 23.54, 47.64, and 1:11.43 while pressed by Forever Young and stalked by 40-1 longest shot T O Password. Turning for home, Knightsbridge continued to lead through 1 mile in 1:36.26, as Sovereignty, 5th early, came out 4 wide to sweep to the front. Kept to task by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty drew off to win by 1 3/4 lengths over late-running 17-1 The Puma in 2:00.36. It was another 1/2 length back to pacesetter Knightsbridge third, while favorite Forever Young tired late to finish fifth beaten 3 lengths.
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 2 Sovereignty Alvarado 5.94 4.16 2.94 4 The Puma Castellano 11.22 6.10 7 Knightsbridge Saez 3.76 Winning Time: 2:00.36 $1 Exacta 2-4 31.30 $1 Trifecta 2-4-7 145.30 $1 Superfecta 2-4-7-1 1,317.10 $1 Super High Five 2-4-7-1-5 3,485.57Results chart |
Left: Sovereignty heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Bill Mott said, "He really is very special. We might not see another one like that. You saw what he did. It was a tremendous run. He had a good year last year and we ended up this year great. He is a phenomenal horse. You beat a world class field, Forever Young, great horses, the best they could bring over here. He deserved this and he got them today. But this was big today because there were some doubters. I think we proved our position. We proved what we needed to prove."
Right: Sovereignty returns after the race. Winning jockey Junior Alvarado said, "Bittersweet. I can't believe they're going to retire him after this performance. He doesn't owe us anything and he's got his next career. I'm very glad that we ended (his) career the way we did today. At the 5/8 pole, I felt already like a winner. He was dragging me. I just couldn't wait to turn for home to release him. The training job that Bill did with this horse, I don't think nobody can understand how great you have to be to do something to get a horse to perform like he did today."
Sovereignty in the post parade. Alvarado added, "Before we turned for home, I knew that he was about to roll them all down, and he was just getting started. I was just happy to get that done with him, because there were still a lot of people giving doubts and things like that, coming off the little foot injury and stuff. I'm just so happy that he did that today on the big stage. We've been through some hiccups in his career, and I'm just glad to finish it up with a big win." Mott added, "You know what? It's a relief because I know how good the horse is. If you think back to his races last year and if he would just repeat his Belmont performance, you would have to believe he was good enough to get the job done. I had confidence that the horses were doing good. I don't make predictions. It's very difficult to predict, you know, when it's about the future."
Sovereignty back at the barn on Sunday morning with trainer Bill Mott. Mott said to the media who assembled at 6:30am, "He has done a lot for Godolphin, for our stable, everyone involved. He gave us a big thrill (in the Classic) and confirmed he was as good as we always thought he was. He wasn't just a one-season sensation. It's always been said there is something special about winning the Derby. I don't discount any of those big wins. They are all important and they are all good. The Derby was big, the Travers was big, this was big. They are all important and very meaningful and I would not want to give any of them up."
Asked if Sovereignty should repeat as Horse of the Year, he added, "I don't think there is any doubt. There are other years when maybe you have to quibble about it. I don't know who would take that spot. I don't know what name you would put in front of him." Besides Sovereignty, Mott has conditioned two other horses that have won Horse of the Year. Cigar got it in 1995 and 1996 and Cody's Wish won it in 2023. The last horse to win Horse of the Year in back-to-back years was Wise Dan, who did it in 2012 and 2013.
Left: Second place finisher The Puma returns after the race. Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said, "Really nice effort. So proud of him. He never gives up. He kept trying, digging. We had a plan of being in front of Sovereignty but at the break, when I saw him in front, I said 'Oh, he's feeling good. He's going to run.' He was following the whole way and he ran a really nice race. I'm so proud of the horse. Just want to make sure he comes back in good shape and regroup. We're looking forward to a 4 year old campaign because that's the plan and that's all. We got beat, but we are in really good shape for next year."
Right: Third place finisher Knightsbridge leads first time by. Jockey Luis Saez said, "Beautiful trip. He put me in a great spot. He was traveling nice. Actually, he came into the stretch and gave me good turn of foot. But the champion of the world came flying. He never gave up. The horse, he's been learning. Going forward, I think he's going to be OK." Trainer Bill Mott added, "I thought Knightsbridge was going to hang on for a big piece and he did hang on for third."
Fifth place finisher and beaten favorite Forever Young returns after the race. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi said, "I thought things were going well. We had considered several different race scenarios, and I felt we managed to secure the best possible position among the options we had discussed. Given the pace, I didn't think the horses coming from behind would be able to catch us. We got exactly the position we had hoped for, and at that point, I really didn't think we would get beaten. But when it mattered, the horse just didn't respond. I honestly don't know why. I feel terribly sorry for all the fans who supported us. He's never run this poorly before."
Photos courtesy of Amber Chalfin of Downthestretchphotos.com.
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