The leading candidate for Horse of the Year- SOVEREIGNTY will not run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said on Wednesday morning that the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner will be scratched from Saturday’s contest due to a fever.
“He was good 24 hours ago. … But then by yesterday afternoon, by seven o’clock last night, he re-spiked, and so we had to re-medicate him,” Mott stated. “And the decision was made. “We weren’t going to press the envelope.”
The son of INTO MISCHIEF had spiked a fever on Monday and Mott wanted to see how the colt responded to medication and rest.
The trainer on Monday claimed that should the 3-year-old experience an elevated temperature again that he would not race Saturday out of precaution.
“If we don’t feel like he’s 100% he’s not going to run,” he said after the initial fever.
Mott said that SOVEREIGNTY was given medication to treat the fever, which worked initially. But after the colt experienced another fever, he was treated with an antibiotic as a precaution.
Outside of the fever, the colt is not showing other signs of illness.
“It’s most likely a viral infection,” Mott said. “And the blood work indicated that it was viral; white [blood cell] count was still normal. If the white count was out of whack, then you would assume it’s a bacterial infection, but it’s a viral thing. Antibiotics don’t help a virus so, but we did cover him with antibiotics last night, just in case it develops [into a bacterial infection].”
SOVEREIGNTY was made the morning-line 6-5 favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic after a dominate 3-year-old campaign that saw him win the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes as well as the Derby and Belmont.
With SOVEREIGNTY out of the Classic, FIERCENESS has elevated to first choice at 5-2.
As for what is next for SOVEREIGNTY, Mott said besides recovering from his fever, nothing has been decided on whether he will return to racing or begin his stallion career.
“As far as what’s happening for next year, one way or another, he’ll have a little bit of time off,” Mott said.
Get well soon big fella.
