All hail Sovereignty in Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in US

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Sovereignty took out the US$7 million (S$8.94 million) Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2,000m) at Keeneland on Oct 31, denying Japan’s Forever Young a rare repeat in the showpiece of the racing extravaganza.

Trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, the 2025 dual-Grade 1 Kentucky Derby (2,000m) and Belmont Stakes (2,000m) winner seized his first chance in the famous race after he was scratched from last year’s edition because of a fever.

The Into Mischief four-year-old was beaten twice at his 2026 campaign when he finished second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap (1,800m) at Oaklawn Park on April 19 and third in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes (1,800m) at Churchill Downs on June 28.

But the talented galloper went on to land the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes (1,800m) at Saratoga on Aug 9 last start.

This time, his Classic participation was again threatened by a hoof abscess, but Alvarado said he never doubted that Sovereignty could win the Classic.

“What he did today, Sovereignty, it’s just spectacular,” said the Venezuelan jockey.

“We really wanted to run so bad the Classic last year. I’m just so glad the (owners) Godolphin team gave us a chance to keep him in training and get to do what he did today.”

Sovereignty settled in well behind his pace-setting stablemate Knightsbridge (Luis Saez) and left no doubt when Alvarado set him loose at the top of the stretch.

He finished 1¾ lengths ahead of The Puma (Javier Castellano), with Knightsbridge another 2¼ lengths away in third.

“Turning in the back side, I was like ‘oh boy, it’s like I can’t wait to turn for home’ because I knew the power I have underneath me,” Alvarado said.

“The way he was travelling the whole time, letting me know, like, I’m here for you. I never had a doubt the whole way around.”

Before the race, all eyes were on Japanese star galloper Forever Young – who gave Japan a first Breeders’ Cup Classic winner at Del Mar in 2025 – to successfully defend his title to join Tiznow (2000 and 2021) in winning back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Classics.

But though the Yoshito Yahagi-trained son of Real Steel ran just behind Knightsbridge for much of the way, he eventually faded to fifth.

Yahagi said he thought jockey Ryusei Sakai had Forever Young perfectly positioned, but when it came to the run in the final straight “there was no response”.

“I feel apologetic, but above all, I’m relieved that the horse came back safely,” said Yahagi.

Despite the disappointment for Forever Young, Japan celebrated a stirring victory with T O Elvis, who ran down the front-running favourite Englishman first-up in the straight in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (1,200m).

Sakai skilfully threaded the son of Volatile through a crowd to set up the impressive stretch run for the Daisuke Takayanagi-trained colt, who had not raced since his last start in May but has now won six in a row.

Benvenuto Cellini won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf (2,400m) for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien as he pushed his Breeders’ Cup wins tally to 24 – two more than Bob Baffert.

O’Brien came into the 2026 Breeders’ Cup festival tied with Baffert for most wins by a trainer with 21.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf marked his third victory of the week after Sun Goddess and Haffner also landed the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (1,600m) and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (1,600m) respectively on Oct 30.

Baffert also nabbed a victory with Hughes in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (1,700m), but O’Brien will depart Kentucky two ahead atop the trainers’ table after an outstanding performance from jockey Ryan Moore aboard Benvenuto Cellini – the Irish Derby winner who had finished a disappointing ninth in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m) earlier in October.

Bacio gave trainer Wesley Ward a first Breeders’ Cup victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1,100m). The Maclean’s Music three-year-old colt returned home to the United States to triumph after picking up wins at Ascot and York earlier. AFP