Sovereignty, the top horse in the country, will not compete in the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic after developing a fever this week. Winner Kentucky DerbyThe Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes will recover, although it is unclear whether he will ever race again.
Trainer Bill Mott made the announcement Wednesday morning and informed Breeders Cup officials of the scratch.
“I actually started to think, 'Maybe we'll be okay.' But then, within a few hours, my optimism disappeared,” Mott said. “When he had a very mild fever and we gave him medicine right away, he behaved normally. In fact, I may have been looking at it through rose-colored glasses.”
On Wednesday morning, Sovereignty stood upright in his stall, chewing hay, and showed no apparent discomfort.
“We went a whole year with this horse without a single hiccup,” Mott said.
The fever was discovered on Monday and he was prescribed an NSAID, similar to Tylenol. He couldn't be given antibiotics at that time because then he would likely fail a drug test. On Tuesday, Mott puts his chances of winning at 50-50.
“If we don't think he's 100 percent ready, he won't compete in the Breeders' Cup Classic,” Mott said Tuesday.
After initial treatment, his temperature returned to normal, but then it spiked again during the night.
Sovereignty was the biggest star of the 42nd Breeders Cup and was considered the favorite to win the Classic by a score of 6-5.
Mott and the owner of Godolphin were very careful with this sovereignty. After he won the Kentucky Derby, people he knew decided not to run him in the Preakness because it was only two weeks after the Derby. Horse racing is a dying brand in the sporting arena, and the eventual Triple Crown winner could have a chance at the boost the sport desperately needs.
A decision has yet to be made whether the colt will return to racing next year or be retired as a stallion.
