Sovereignty, the winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby, will not be running in the Preakness Stakes, officials confirmed on Tuesday. This decision, which extends the seven-year drought of a Triple Crown winner, means there will not be a shot at the coveted title this season. The news was announced by Mike Rogers, the executive vice president of 1/ST Racing, which operates the Preakness, who shared that trainer Bill Mott had informed them of the decision.
According to Rogers, Sovereignty will now be aimed for the Belmont Stakes on June 7, at Saratoga Race Course in New York, marking the final leg of the Triple Crown. The decision to skip the Preakness had been hinted at by Mott earlier in the week. Speaking at Churchill Downs after Sovereignty’s Derby victory, Mott had explained that his priority was the long-term well-being of the horse, acknowledging the consideration for a Triple Crown but emphasizing that they wanted to make the best decision for the horse’s future.
Sovereignty’s win in the Kentucky Derby came in challenging muddy conditions, where he secured victory with jockey Junior Alvarado aboard at odds of 7-1, overcoming the favorite, Journalism, in a thrilling stretch run. Despite the excitement surrounding the horse’s triumph, Mott and the team decided that skipping the Preakness would be in Sovereignty’s best interest.
The move means the Triple Crown drought will continue, with no horse having completed the prestigious sweep since Justify in 2018. Since then, there have been multiple instances where the Preakness Stakes has been contested without a contender for the Triple Crown. In 2019, both Maximum Security and Elevated, the latter being the winner, did not run in the Preakness, either due to disqualification or injury concerns. In 2020, the order of the races was altered due to the pandemic. In 2021, Medina Spirit, another Bob Baffert-trained horse, was disqualified after a positive drug test, and in 2022, Rich Strike, the Derby winner, was rested instead of running in the Preakness.
This long-standing drought has sparked discussions about the current format of the Triple Crown and whether the tight scheduling of the races is still appropriate for modern racing. One prominent figure, owner Mike Repole, voiced his opinion on the matter, suggesting that the Belmont Stakes should be moved to the second leg of the Triple Crown, with the Preakness taking place later in the year. He argued that the current two-week gap between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness was no longer ideal for keeping top horses in the competition and recommended spacing out the races to allow more of the best contenders to stay in the running.
As of now, it remains uncertain whether second-place finisher Journalism or third-place Baeza will take part in the Preakness. There is also speculation about the future of the race itself, as the Preakness will be the last held at Pimlico Race Course in its current form. Plans are underway to demolish the venue for reconstruction, with the 2026 Preakness scheduled to take place at Laurel Park, located between Baltimore and Washington, during the rebuilding process.
The developments surrounding Sovereignty’s decision not to run in the Preakness, along with the broader discussions about race scheduling, reflect the evolving nature of the sport. While the focus remains on the horses and their well-being, the future of the Triple Crown may see significant changes aimed at preserving the competition’s prestige and ensuring that top horses remain in the running for all three jewels.
