Photo:

Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire

The Kentucky Derby is the one event in American racing that stands far above the rest. It is the one race that everyone wants to win, and it is the one race that the general public celebrates. Because of this, it’s a boon to the sport to see a winner of the roses come back to have top-level success beyond the first Saturday in May, and especially as an older horse. Such a horse is worthy of celebration. In Sovereignty, it looks like we have one.

Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes featured as strong a group of older horses as we’ve seen assembled in years, and the strapping son of Into Mischief absolutely steamrolled the competition down the Saratoga stretch. Back at his favorite track, it was vintage Sovereignty. The champion reminded us all why he was the 2025 horse of the year.

Unfortunately, the days of Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Spectacular Bid are becoming more distant memories with each passing year. Those goliaths of the game were all Kentucky Derby winners who came back to dominate as even better older horses. It simply doesn’t happen like that anymore.

Sovereignty’s 4 3/4-length win in a sparkling 1:47.91 over the game and champion filly Nitrogen in the Whitney was the best performance by a Kentucky Derby winner in years. Of this there can be no doubt.

Last season, the Godolphin homebred emphatically validated his stylish win over Journalism at Churchill Downs. Under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and ridden each time by veteran Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty followed up his score in the Kentucky Derby by dominating the best of the rest of the division with ease in the Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers Stakes (G1).

Despite having to miss the Breeders’ Cup Classic due to illness, his superiority within the 3-year-old male division was enough to win the nation’s top honor without having faced older horses. Sovereignty became the first Kentucky Derby victor to win America’s horse of the year since Authentic back in 2020.

While Authentic was retired to stud after his sophomore season five years earlier, the announcement of Sovereignty’s plan to race as an older runner was met with high anticipation. His long-awaited return to the races was not without a bump in the road, or two, however.

His lofty reputation took a hit not once, but twice to begin his 4-year-old season. A second-place finish in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) was followed up by a third-place effort in the Stephen Foster (G1). A lack of pace, loose speed and a sloppy racing surface may have all played a part, but suddenly the mighty Sovereignty was knocked from the summit and once again a challenger, as he was before the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

In one fell swoop on Saturday evening at Saratoga, while facing a field that included Grade 1 winners Magnitude, Baeza, Nitrogen, White Abarrio and Antiquarian, the champion returned in full flight. Leaving the best dirt horses in the country in his wake, Sovereignty was back.

No Kentucky Derby winner has run a race like this as an older horse in many years. Taking that thought a step further, the list of Kentucky Derby winners to come back to win a horse of the year title as an older horse this century is a party of one. 

In the 21st century, California Chrome stands alone as the gold standard for career accomplishments following a Kentucky Derby victory. The rags-to-riches chestnut validated his success at Churchill Downs many times over. After the Derby, he added Preakness and Hollywood Derby (G1) victories as a 3-year-old horse of the year.

Following an injury-shortened 4-year-old campaign, California Chrome became a two-time horse of the year at 5, rattling off wins in the San Pasqual (G2), Dubai World Cup (G1), San Diego Handicap (G2), Pacific Classic (G1) and Awesome Again (G1).

Of all the Kentucky Derby winners going back more than two decades, only California Chrome and Animal Kingdom, the winner of the 2011 run for the roses and the 2013 Dubai World Cup, can boast a victory like Sovereignty enjoyed on Saturday.

Back to his winning ways, Sovereignty has a bright future, but there is still much to do. It won’t come at his favorite track of Saratoga, but both the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park on Sept. 18 and the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Oct. 31 will offer the big bay the opportunity to return to the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles.

Returning to his preferred distance should make Sovereignty that much stronger as he chases a second horse of the year title. With a return to 10 furlongs, there will also come the new challenge of Forever Young.

The Japanese superstar won the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year, and now as a fully mature 5-year-old, will be serious competition for last year’s Kentucky Derby hero. Both Forever Young and Sovereignty are expected to run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

In the latter, they could also meet the reigning Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, who is preparing for the Travers after winning the Belmont Stakes. He has not yet won as impressively as Sovereignty, but this year’s Derby winner appears to be developing nicely.

The golden era of racing was highlighted by Kentucky Derby winners coming back to prove themselves the worthiest horses in the game. They don’t make them like Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Spectacular Bid anymore, which is all the more reason to appreciate a champion like California Chrome.

Now Sovereignty will have the opportunity to become a Kentucky Derby winner to be truly celebrated. After Saturday’s performance in the Whitney, the sky is once again the limit.

Kentucky football fall camp did not beat the heat on Saturday. The first practice featuring shoulder pads was in the middle of the hottest, muggiest part of the August afternoon. Will Stein‘s team needs it. They’ll be playing in it this fall.

The Kentucky head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator all spoke with the media on Saturday evening to share what they’ve seen from the Wildcats so far. Jay Bateman has a very important reminder for BBN:

“Three practices — one with shoulder pads and two with helmets — those aren’t big indicators of success or not success.”

It’s still very early in the preseason process, but we can still share a few things from the first three practices.

No Knuckleheads in Shoulder Pads

Juices were flowing for the first practice in shoulder pads. It’s the first time in a long time that they’ve been able to hit somebody. Bateman appreciated that there was plenty of physicality, but nobody went overboard.

“We’ve got kids that like football. I think it was physical practice, but it was smart football. Sometimes, if you got a bunch of knuckleheads, you go out there for the first day of shoulder pads, and there’s guys all over the place, guys getting tackled. I think one of my knuckleheads tackled a guy one time, but other that it was pretty good,” said the Kentucky defensive coordinator.

“We’ve got some veteran guys that have a lot of weight in the locker room that know how to practice, and I think there’s a physical component to our practice, but a smart component to our practice.”

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, Joe Sloan saw the offensive line creating running lanes. This coaching staff has plenty of confidence in the trenches. What may have been unexpected is the pop produced by the pass-catchers.

“When we went out there in pads, I thought the O-line moved people, and I thought (the running backs) ran hard, and I thought we had a couple receivers really step and put their face in there,” said Sloan. “Shane (Carr) and Brock (Coffman), I thought, really came down and cracked a couple folks.”

Good Day for the Running Backs

Running back might be the biggest question mark on this Kentucky football roster. CJ Baxter and Jovantae Barnes brought a lengthy injury history with them from the transfer portal. A few late JUCO additions raised red flags for some fans.

It’s still early, and they aren’t breaking tackles to the ground, but Stein likes what he’s seen from the young guys, particularly one player you may have forgotten about, Tovani Mizell. A one-time Georgia commit who was one of the highest-ranked running backs in his class, he’s showing the coaches why now that he’s finally healthy.

“We’ve pushed all those kids, and Tovani’s had a strong showing in the first three days,” said Stein. “Shoot, Jason Patterson today looked the best I’ve seen him. I was very happy to see him run like that, just run hard, and not pitter-patter your feet in the hole, like hit it. The more competition you can get — Martels (Carter) look good today — the more competition, it just brings the best out of people. That was exciting to see from the backs.”

Stein also noted that Carter had a big play during Friday’s practice. The former safety made another safety miss in the open-field to create an explosive play.

Versatile Player on the Kentucky O-Line

Kentucky brought in three veteran starters from the Power Conference ranks to rebuild the Big Blue Wall. But what about the other guys? When the Big Blue Wall was at its best, John Schlarman wasn’t just deploying five guys for an entire game. There was a healthy rotation.

It appears that Kentucky is creating one, at least in the interior. A minor procedure is limiting Tegra Tshabola in practice, paving the way for Jordan Knox. The interior offensive line actually logged a couple of starts at Northwestern before going the JUCO route. He’s forcing the coaches to make him a part of the regular rotation.

“I love Jordan. I think he’s a baller,” said Sloan. “One, he’s got position flex, which is so, so important. He can play guard. He can play center. Sometimes guys are just centers, but he has the athletic ability and the power to play guard. He’s not just going to be in there to snap the football and communicate.

“So now he can move in and play center, and you’ve got a really powerful, athletic guy who can move his feet. Now, obviously, we have a really good center, so that helps, right? But Jordan’s gonna play. If he continues to play the way that he has, he’s gonna definitely help us a ton this fall.”

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