Sovereignty regroups to win Breeders' Cup Classic, a year after missing the race because of a fever

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Sovereignty surged past Knightsbridge in the stretch and held off The Puma to win the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic by 1 3/4 lengths on Saturday, one year after missing the marquee race because of a fever.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty was in the hunt at the final turn and overtook his stablemate on the outside of four horses. He then withstood charges from defending Classic winner Forever Young and The Puma before going on to his second consecutive victory.

“I could feel how fast he was getting to the horses and the lead,” Alvarado said after his first Classic victory. “It was right before we turned for home and switched (the) lead. No other horse could have come in faster than the way he was going at the end.”

Last year's Kentucky Derby, Belmont and Travers Stakes winner covered 1 1/4 mile in 2 minutes, 0.36 seconds at Keeneland, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his third Classic victory and first since 2011. Last year's top overall horse and 3-year-old paid $5.94, $4.16 and $2.94 at the season-ending World Championships.

Sovereignty's return to the Classic and how he'd fare in a loaded seven-horse field including Older Dirt Horse champion Forever Young and Derby winner Golden Tempo was one of the race’s biggest storylines.

Knightsbridge almost stole the spotlight by setting the pace with Forever Young close behind. The son of Into Mischief and Crowned soon took over under a cool, overcast sky, adding to his stellar resume and giving breeder Godolphin its first Classic victory.

“He’s a magnificent horse," Mott said of Sovereignty. "I’ve had a couple good ones, but you could almost say he’s a once-in-a-lifetime horse.

“I’m not so sure he couldn’t have done it last year, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Thank goodness we had the opportunity to try again, and the Godolphin team made the decision to keep him in training this year, and that’s a huge risk.”

The Puma returned $11.22 and $6.10 while Knightsbridge paid $3.76.

Next were Japan-bred T O Password and Forever Young, the 8-5 favorite who sought a second consecutive Classic victory. He faded after running among the leaders. Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo was never a factor, running last for much of the race and finishing sixth.

In Saturday's other races at Keeneland:

— Aiden O’Brien broke a tie with Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with his record 23rd Breeders’ Cup trainer’s win as Irish colt Benvenuto Cellini surged from 12th over the final quarter-mile to win the $5 million Turf. They entered the weekend with 21 apiece and each won Juvenile races on Friday.

— Nitrogen won the $2 million Distaff by two lengths with Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, a year after a runner-up finish at Del Mar.

— Jockey Kendrick Carmouche and trainer Miguel Clement got their first Breeders’ Cup victories as Deterministic held off favorite Notable Speech by 3/4 of a length in the $2 million Mile.

— Japan-based favorite T O Elvis rallied to chase down Englishman in the final 1/16 to win the $2 million Sprint and give jockey Ryusei Sakai his second Breeders' Cup victory.

— Further Ado came on down the stretch and dueled Owen Almighty side by side before winning the $1 million Dirt Mile at the wire in a photo finish. The favorite started on the rail and was fifth on the backstretch before finding room outside to draw even with Owen Almighty.

— Kathynmarissa overtook Gimme a Nother in the stretch to win the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf, paying $13.24 at 5-1 odds for her third consecutive victory.

— Favorite Ways and Means surged from fourth on the backstretch to the lead by the final turn and pulled away to win the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint opener by 6 1/4 lengths over Foie Gras. Chad Brown's 5-year-old mare earned her third consecutive victory and eighth in 14 career starts.

___

See AP’s full horse racing coverage here