The morning after his second Kentucky Derby victory, trainer Bill Mott wasn’t ready to commit to pursuing a run at the Triple Crown with Sovereignty.
“We want to do what’s best for the horse,” Mott said outside Barn 19 at Churchill Downs on a rainy Sunday morning. “Of course you always think about a Triple Crown, and that’s not something we’re not going to think about. …
“We have to come to a conclusion probably in the next few days, but it’s not going to be this morning.”
Mott was still basking in the glow of Sovereignty’s 1 ½-length victory over Journalism in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
The trainer said Sovereignty sustained a minor 4-inch scrape on the outside of his right front pastern (above the hoof). Mott said he expects Sovereignty suffered the injury when getting bumped by Chunk of Gold out of the starting gate.
Other than that, Mott said, Sovereignty was doing well and looked good when jogging Sunday morning.
“I was really flabbergasted when I saw him,” Mott said. “By the time I got back to the barn he had eaten up. His tub was already out of the stall. He must have eaten his dinner in 20 minutes, which is pretty unusual for a horse that’s run that hard.”
Later Sunday morning Mott received the traditional call from Preakness officials, inviting Sovereignty to the second leg of the Triple Crown set for May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Mott didn’t get a chance to make a run at the Triple Crown in 2019 after Country House’s victory in the Kentucky Derby. Days after the race Country House contracted a virus and never raced again.
With horses racing far less frequently now than they did decades ago, trainers are hesitant to run again just two weeks after the Kentucky Derby.
“Over the years people have realized that spacing these horses out a little bit gives you the opportunity to make them last a little longer,” Mott said. “We’re looking at a career, and you want the career to last more than five weeks.”
Mott said the Belmont Stakes — the final leg of the Triple Crown on June 7 — is an appealing option. With Belmont Park being renovated, the Belmont will be held at Saratoga and contested at 1 ¼ miles instead of the traditional 1 ½ miles.
“Makes it very interesting to me,” Mott said of the shorter distance. “I’d like to see him at his best going into the Belmont.”
Rich Strike was the last Kentucky Derby winner to skip the Preakness in 2022. He went on to finish sixth in the Belmont and never won another race.
Michael Banahan — director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA, which owns Sovereignty — said a final decision about the Preakness likely will come in the next 4-7 days.
“What we’ll do with the horse is the right thing for him,” Banahan said. “Give Bill a few days with his team to assess and see how he’s doing. If he’s in great shape, we will certainly have a look at everything. … It’s a long season, and he’s had three hard races since the beginning of March. That takes a lot out of those horses.”
Whatever the decision, Mott will always have the memories of Saturday’s victory.
He praised the ride of jockey Junior Alvarado and said he enjoyed celebrating Saturday night with family and friends.
“As I was rolling out of bed this morning my wife asked me if I believed it,” Mott said. “I said, ‘Well, it’s starting to sink in.’ It really is pretty special.”
* Journalism (second) – Trainer Michael McCarthy said he had “no complaints” about Journalism’s race and indicated he could return for the Preakness.
* Baeza (third) – Trainer John Shirreffs said his horse will skip the Preakness and could return for the Belmont.
* Owen Almighty (fifth) – Trainer Brian Lynch said the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 7 at Saratoga could be next.
* Sandman (seventh) – Trainer Mark Casse said the Belmont likely will be the next start for Sandman.
* Luxor Café (12th)/Admire Daytona (19th) – Representative Kate Hunter said both horses will return to Japan and could return to the United States for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.