Reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty continues to progress in his training this winter at Payson Park in South Florida and is under consideration for the April 18 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for his 4-year-old debut, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott told FanDuel Racing March 4. The 1 1/8-mile dirt race carries a $1.25 million purse.
Godolphin's star homebred American colt, who missed a start against older horses in the fall after running a temperature ahead of a scheduled start in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, returned to Mott's Florida stable this winter after receiving light training in Kentucky. Unraced since winning the Travers Stakes (G1) last summer at Saratoga Race Course, the son of Into Mischief has breezed three times at Payson Park over the past several weeks, topped by a half-mile workout in :49 4/5 March 1.
"He's acclimated well, and he's starting to shine. He's moving well," Mott told FanDuel Racing."His works have been good. His works are usually just workmanlike until we ask him for more. But until then, we'll just get a series of nice, useful works in him. And you know when he gets ready, he gets ready.
"We're looking at the possibility of the Oakland Handicap right now. That comes up like (the) 18th of April, and gives us plenty of time if we don't have any bumps in the road, you know, before then. But that should give us plenty of time to have enough work in him to get started."
"I think he's just getting better and better."
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 4, 2026
Bill Mott spoke with @FanduelAnthony about 2025 Horse of the Year SOVEREIGNTY during a recent visit to Payson Park in Florida. Find out more about how the 2025 @KentuckyDerby winner is coming along on his 2026 debut. pic.twitter.com/RqTv2HDR3Q
Mott told BloodHorse earlier this winter that the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in the United Arab Emirates was not being considered for Sovereignty's first start of the year, noting the race is March 28 and the colt's layoff.
Sovereignty, whose nine-race career has not included a start at Oaklawn Park, went 5-1-0 in six starts last year, running away with the champion 3-year-old male title at the Eclipse Awards and out-polling Japanese star Forever Young and star 2-year-old Ted Noffey for Horse of the Year. In addition to his three grade 1 victories in 2025, he won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga. His only loss at 3 came when he was second in the Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream.
He also scored his first career win in capturing the Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in his third start at 2. Godolphin's homebred is 6-2-0 in nine starts overall with earnings of $5,835,300.
The Oaklawn Handicap could attract additional runners if the connections of some American horses choose not to send their horses to the Dubai World Cup due to the armed conflict in the Middle East involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Mott has already shipped horses from Florida to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas this winter, most recently winning the Pig Trail Overnight Stakes March 1 with Juddmonte's homebred grade 3 winner Batten Down.
Godolphin won the Oaklawn Handicap last year with its homebred First Mission , who is trained by Brad Cox.
