'Stronger' Sovereignty Leads Belmont Workers

Godolphin homebred Sovereignty posted his second work over Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma training track since capturing the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), covering five furlongs in 1:02.54 in company with last year's Whitney Stakes (G1) winner Arthur's Ride May 24. Sovereignty first galloped almost a complete lap of the oval in usual fashion for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He and Arthur's Ride stood near the gap on the first turn for a short while before they broke off for their work, with Sovereignty beginning about two lengths behind and to the outside of Arthur's Ride. New York Racing Association clockers caught him through splits of :12 2/5, :25 1/5, and :37 4/5 before Sovereignty gained on his company into the turn and inched ahead of him through five furlongs in 1:02.54, galloping out in 1:17. "I thought it was good," Mott said back at his barn. "He was a little strong in the warm-up. When he tipped him out, he kind of went right to the other horse. He had him in behind to begin, and he went well." Sovereignty, by Into Mischief, is pointing to the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1), to be run June 7 at Saratoga. Mott said he has noticed a change in the colt's overall demeanor on the track since the first Saturday in May. "He's almost a little more aggressive," Mott said. "(The Derby) hasn't set him back. He's just getting a little stronger than he was. He wasn't quite that strong (before the Derby)." Mott said he expects Sovereignty to have another breeze before the Belmont. "You just hope he trains well up until the next race, for a fair track, and you go from there," Mott said. Arthur's Ride, a 5-year-old son of Tapit, was working for the fourth time this year and has not started since an off-the-board finish in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar. "I thought he went well the first five-eighths. He probably got a little tired," Mott said. "He hasn't had that many works." Hill Road Pleases Brown Amo Racing USA's Hill Road completed his first work Saturday towards an expected start in the Belmont. Trained by five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the Quality Road colt covered a half-mile in :48.75 to the inside of Lordship, a lightly raced 3-year-old Gun Runner colt, over the Belmont Park dirt training track. It was Hill Road's first breeze back since a closing three-quarter-length score in the May 10 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack. "(Hill Road) worked super, I'm really pleased with him," said Brown. "He had a nice gallop out. He is coming along really well. He came out of his last race really well. I put this horse Lordship on the outside of him, they were a good match, they galloped out strong. They are two endurance-type horses … "I just wanted a steady work but with a strong gallop out. These are staying horses that the best part of their works and races will be the late stages. I liked what I saw around the turn galloping out. He is very fit now, Hill Road. He is in a good part of his form cycle. I'm just looking to maintain where I'm at with that horse." Hill Road looks to join Counterpoint (1951), High Gun (1954), Gallant Man (1957), Cavan (1958), Coastal (1979), Danzig Connection (1986), A.P. Indy (1992), Tonalist (2014), and Arcangelo (2023) as Peter Pan winners to subsequently score in the Belmont Stakes. Matt Winn More Likely Than Belmont for Final Gambit Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Final Gambit also breezed Saturday, clocking five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 at Churchill Downs. While not ruled out of the Belmont, he is more likely to run in the June 8 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, trainer Brad Cox told BloodHorse Saturday afternoon. He suggested a key defection would likely be needed to change course with Juddmonte's homebred son of Not This Time. "We'll let Sovereignty and Journalism kind of duke it out for the time being, and the others. Maybe we can show up later in some grade 1s later in the summer," Cox said. The Matt Winn is a $400,000 race at 1 1/16 miles that could also lure Kentucky Derby competitors Burnham Square, Coal Battle, and East Avenue.