Sovereignty Preakness Call to Be Made in Coming Days

A decision on whether there will indeed be a Triple Crown bid in 2025 should come in the next day or two, according to Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin, owners of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Sovereignty's status for the May 17 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course has yet to be confirmed as the connections monitor his progress after a 1 1/2-length win over Journalism in the opening leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs. "(Sovereignty) came out of the race in good shape," Banahan said by text May 5. "We will huddle up over the next 24-48 hours and make a decision." The early signs remain positive as assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy, who oversees the Churchill Downs operation for Mott, reported that Sovereignty again ate up his evening meal Sunday in 20 minutes. "Another repeat performance," McCarthy said. "He's been one horse that never misses an oat. Obviously, we monitor that closely, because (not eating) is a sign that maybe something's not quite right. But again, we put in his tub, and in 20 minutes, he's finished his feed and looking for more." Sovereignty settled near the rear of the 19-horse Derby field before rallying behind Journalism while making a wide sweep into the homestretch and overtaking the favorite by 1 1/2 lengths. "When you thought about it all, we had three great weeks of training here," McCarthy said. "The walkover went so perfectly, smoothly for us. He saddled great. Once we legged the jockey (Junior Alvarado) up, at that stage it was out of our hands. But reflecting back on everything we'd done to get to that point, you'd say there was absolutely nothing we would have changed. And that's a good feeling to have when one is going out there." McCarthy has worked for Mott for 29 years. He had Sovereignty in his barn last fall when the strapping Into Mischief colt earned his first victory in Churchill Downs' Street Sense Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles. Finishing second that day was future Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Tiztastic. Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman finished third. McCarthy also runs Mott's Gulfstream Park winter division while the Hall of Fame trainer is based at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla. Sovereignty ran twice at Gulfstream, winning the Fountain of Youth (G2) off a four-month layoff by a neck over River Thames. Sovereignty returned in the Florida Derby (G1) with Manny Franco filling in for the injured Alvarado. He closed to finish second behind Tappan Street, who wound up missing the Derby with a leg injury. "As a 2-year-old here, he had a huge frame to him," McCarthy said of Sovereignty. "He's a big horse. I'd say the change we'd seen, when he first came down to Gulfstream, he had filled that out very impressively. His second start down there, we wanted to win, but sometimes in getting beat, it teaches the horse that next lesson they have to learn to dig in. I think we saw that on Saturday. When they turned for home, he and Journalism were shoulder to shoulder. It was going to be a horse race from there, and who was the strongest." Assistant trainer Justin Curran, who runs Southern California-based trainer Michael McCarthy's Churchill Downs division, reported that Kentucky Derby runner-up and beaten favorite Journalism is doing well and is likely to resume training May 7. No decision has been made on the Preakness. Journalism is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, and Elayne Stables 5. The Coolmore associates Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith procured the breeding rights to Journalism after he won Santa Anita Park's San Felipe Stakes (G2) and are included in the racing ownership as lessees. Four straight days of rainy weather in Louisville and another sloppy track Monday have impacted training for some horses. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert postponed his return to California to monitor the weather and track as he determines his Pimlico-bound contingent, including Preakness candidate Rodriguez. "We're planning on going with Rodriguez," Baffert said of the Wood Memorial (G2) winner whom was scratched from the Derby because of a minor but untimely foot bruise. "Citizen Bull, I doubt if I'm taking him." Baffert, a record eight-time Preakness winner, then reflected on how his decision can change rapidly once he sees how the horses came out of the Derby. "I remember Point Given, I wasn't taking him," he said of the 2001 beaten Derby favorite who went on to win the Preakness, Belmont Stakes (G1), Haskell Invitational (G1), and Travers (G1) to be voted Horse of the Year. "Lookin At Lucky, he wasn't going. Then, come Monday, I called them up and said, 'We're going. Not only are we going, we're going to win.' It takes about a week, five days, to properly evaluate the horses." Rodriguez galloped on the sloppy Churchill Downs surface Monday. "The foot is fine now," Baffert said. "It was one of those things. We can't run a horse over a track like that when (the bruise) is fresh." Goal Oriented, who earned his second victory in two starts in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the Derby undercard, is being considered for Pimlico's Sir Barton Stakes. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas confirmed Monday that he intends to run BC Stable's American Promise in the Preakness. American Promise had a very difficult trip in the Kentucky Derby and ended up 16th in the field of 19. Lukas said that American Promise was twice compromised in the Derby. The first problem occurred at the start when Citizen Bull, who drew the rail, bore out in his attempt to get to the lead. American Promise was in post 4. "We didn't get the chance to do what we wanted to do," Lukas said. "He got wiped out at the gate by the one-hole coming over. Actually, three of us took a beating on that. Then he made up good ground, and when he was ready to make a move, they shut him down again." Lukas, 89, will be seeking his record-tying eighth victory in the Preakness. He earned his seventh win last year with Seize the Grey, owned by MyRacehorse. Baffert, who is pointing Rodriguez for the Preakness, holds the stakes record for victories. American Promise, winner of the Virginia Derby by 7 3/4 lengths at Colonial Downs March 15, was 12-1 in the Derby. After all the trouble he encountered, the son of 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify ended up 38 lengths behind Godolphin's winner, Sovereignty. "The best horse won," Lukas said. "That's unusual because the Derby winner isn't always the best horse, but it was this trip. It was a very good effort by Bill Mott's horse. Actually, the second-place horse (Journalism) ran real well, too." Lukas won with his first Preakness runner, Codex, in 1980. American Promise will be Lukas' 49th starter in his 33rd Preakness. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen for the third day postponed a workout for Preakness contender Clever Again, who won Oaklawn Park's March 30 Hot Springs Stakes at a two-turn mile in only his third career start. Clever Again, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and a partnership associated with the international Coolmore racing and stallion operation, debuted in April 2024, finishing second by a head at 4 1/2 furlongs, then was sidelined until winning a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Oaklawn in February. Trainer Brendan Walsh has Gosger under Preakness consideration, with Keeneland's Lexington Stakes (G2) victor training at the Lexington track. Gosger worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:00 May 1. Gosger races for the estate of breeder Harvey Clarke, who bred and sold 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another. Gosger's second dam, Arch's Gal Edith, is the dam of I'll Have Another. His sire, Nyquist, won the 2016 Derby before finishing third (a nose out of second) in the Preakness won by Derby runner-up Exaggerator. WinStar Farm, CHC, Pantofel Stable, and Wachtel Stable's River Thames, who finished second behind Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in the March 1 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, is slated to run in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown after bypassing the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the son of Maclean's Music checked in third in the April 8 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in his most recent start. Trainer Jamie Osborne is pointing Jim and Claire Limited's Heart of Honor (GB), runner-up in the April 5 UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan, to the Preakness. The English-bred son of Honor A.P. compiled a record of 2-3-0 in five starts at Meydan following a runner-up finish in his career debut at Southwell last fall. RKTN Racing's Pay Billy earned an automatic entry into the Preakness by capturing the April 19 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park. The Mike Gorham-trained son of Improbable won the Private Terms in his previous start at Laurel. Reporting from Bob Ehalt as well as Maryland Jockey Club publicity.