Derby winner Sovereignty won't run in Preakness
Published
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not run in the Preakness Stakes, ending any chance at a Triple Crown for a seventh consecutive year.
“We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,” 1/ST Racing executive VP Mike Rogers said Tuesday. “We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision.”
Mott told Preakness officials the plan will be to enter Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes on June 7. Mott on Sunday morning foreshadowed skipping the Preakness in the name of long-term interests.
“We want to do what’s best for the horse,” Mott told reporters at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. “Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and that’s not something we’re not going to think about.”
This is the fourth time since Justify won all three races in 2018 that the Preakness will go on without a true shot at a Triple Crown. The short, two-week turnaround from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness and changes in modern racing have sparked debate around the sport about spacing out the races.
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