Godolphin Star Sovereignty Scratched from Breeders’ Cup Classic
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not compete in Saturday’s $7-million GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, trainer Bill Mott confirmed Wednesday.
The Godolphin homebred, who was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite, spiked a fever Monday evening following a four-furlong breeze earlier that day.
“If it didn’t go away, we were going to have a problem,” Hall of Fame trainer Mott said. “And it didn’t go away. (Assistant trainer) Neil (Poznansky) called me (Tuesday afternoon) and said it had jumped back up. We retreated him and, at that point, it’s not even a conversation. (Sovereignty) made the decision. That is what we said from the beginning–if he re-spiked, he would be out.”
The three-year-old son of Into Mischief had been treated with an anti-inflammatory after the initial temperature spike, but his condition deteriorated Tuesday afternoon, ending any chance of competing in the season-culminating event.
Sovereignty’s defection reduces the Classic field to nine runners. Last year’s Classic runner-up Fierceness (City of Light), who captured the 2023 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, now stands as the revised 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Mott expressed disappointment for racing fans who had embraced the colt during his impressive 2025 campaign.
“Yes, I feel sorry for him and, frankly, my staff. Everybody was excited about it,” Mott said. “And the fans. I really think this horse was a fan favorite at this point and I feel badly that they are not going to be able to see him participate. I think a lot of people were really looking forward to seeing him run and seeing that race with him in it.”
The Triple Crown near-miss had established himself as the division leader with victories in the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Belmont Stakes and GI DraftKings Travers Stakes this season.
— Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) — Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) October 29, 2025
Connections indicated Sovereignty will ship to Kentucky when deemed healthy enough to travel. Future racing plans remain undetermined.
