Churchill Downs Update: Mott Duo of Sovereignty, Baeza Continues Stephen Foster Preparations

Jun 25, 2026

Godolphin’s reigning Horse of the Year and Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Sovereignty and C R K Stable and Grandview Equine’s Grade I winner Baeza continued their preparations for Saturday’s $2 million Stephen Foster (GI) by galloping Thursday at Churchill Downs before schooling together in the paddock.

Sovereignty, the 6-5 morning-line favorite, will make his first start beneath the Twin Spires since capturing last year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. The son of Into Mischief enters the Stephen Foster off a runner-up finish to White Abarrio in the Oaklawn Handicap (GII), his first start of the season.

“He came out of Oaklawn in great shape,” Mott said. “He trained here at Churchill for a couple of weeks afterward and then went to Saratoga. That race turned into a good one with White Abarrio, Sovereignty and Journalism all in it. We weren’t anticipating being on the lead, but he ran a very good race, got a lot out of it and has trained well since. We’ve had a couple of good works into this race, and hopefully we’re ready to get the better of (White Abarrio) Saturday.”

Sovereignty has compiled a record of 10-6-3-0 with earnings of $6,079,050. In addition to last year’s Kentucky Derby, he won the Belmont Stakes (GI), Jim Dandy Stakes (GII) and Travers Stakes (GI) en route to Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Male honors.

Baeza, who joined Mott’s barn following last year’s Pennsylvania Derby (GI) and the unexpected passing of his former trainer John Shirreffs, will make his second start for the Hall of Fame conditioner after finishing a troubled third in the Alysheba Stakes (GII) on Kentucky Oaks Day, where he broke slowly.

“He does everything perfectly in the mornings,” Mott said. “Sometimes in the afternoon he can act up a little. He hasn’t always been the quickest horse away from the gate, so we’ve spent quite a bit of time schooling him and standing him in the gate in the mornings. We worked him from the gate in his last work. He doesn’t have to be a fast gate horse, but he does need to leave there cleanly because it takes him a little while to get into his stride. Once he does, he settles into a really nice rhythm.”

Baeza enters the Stephen Foster with a record of 10-2-3-3 and earnings of $1,717,200.

Sovereignty and Baeza are part of a world-class Stephen Foster field that also includes Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Dubai World Cup (GI) winner Magnitude and C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) and Pegasus World Cup (GI) winner White Abarrio.

Rounding out the likely runners is Paradise Farm’s seven-time winner Willy D’s, who was cross-entered in Saturday’s $250,000 Texas Turf Classic Stakes at Lone Star Park and is likely to run at Churchill Downs, according to trainer Mike Maker.

White Abarrio’s stablemates Forged Steel and Navajo Warrior did not ship to Churchill Downs and are slated to scratch from the race, according to Joseph.

The five-horse field has combined to compile a record of 86-33-18-9 with earnings of $25,659,793.

The complete field for the Stephen Foster from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning-line odds):

Willy D’s (Luis Saez, Mike Maker, 20-1)
White Abarrio (Irad Ortiz Jr., Joseph, 3-1)
Sovereignty (Junior Alvarado, Mott, 6-5)
Baeza (Flavien Prat, Mott, 6-1)
Magnitude (Jose Ortiz, Asmussen, 7-2)
Forged Steel (John Velazquez, Joseph, 12-1)
Navajo Warrior (Tyler Gaffalione, Joseph, 15-1)
First post for Saturday’s 12-race program is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern). The Stephen Foster is scheduled as Race 11 at 6:14 p.m. and will be part of a two-hour broadcast on NBCSN and Peacock in conjunction with FanDuel TV from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

DRAGOON GUARD TABBED AS 4-1 FAVORITE IN WIDE-OPEN $300,000 HANSHIN PRESENTED BY JRA – Juddmonte’s five-time winner Dragoon Guard was tabbed as the 4-1 morning line choice in an accomplished field of 10 horses entered in Sunday’s $300,000 Hanshin presented by JRA (Grade III), one of four stakes races on Closing Day of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet.

Trained by Brad Cox, Dragoon Guard finished third to fellow Hanshin rivals Tour Player and Moonlight in last month’s Knicks Go (Listed) as the 8-5 favorite. A 5-year-old son of Arrogate, Dragoon Guard has been based at Churchill Down for the majority of his career and recorded a sharp five-furlong move in :59 Saturday morning, the fastest of 48 recorded works at the distance.

“He’s a talented horse and I think runs well at this distance,” Cox said. “He’s a graded stakes winner at 3 going a route of ground and has been solid in his last few starts going a one-turn mile.”

The field for the Hanshin Stakes from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Moonlight (Florent Geroux, Chris Block, 12-1)
Neoequos (Francisco Arrieta, Saffie Joseph Jr., 10-1)
Owen Almighty (John Velazquez, Brian Lynch, 5-1)
Imagination (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert, 6-1)
Dragoon Guard (Irad Ortiz Jr., Cox, 4-1)
Hall of Fame (Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen, 8-1)
Crazy Mason (Junior Alvarado, Greg Sacco, 6-1)
Nu What’s New (Luis Saez, Jimmy DiVito, 10-1)
Coal Battle (Corey Lanerie, Lonnie Briley, 15-1)
Tour Player (Tyler Gaffalione, Whit Beckman, 9-2)
Sunday’s Closing Day card will feature mandatory payouts in the Derby City 6 Jackpot, all Pick 5s and all Super Hi 5s. To watch and wager on all the action, visit twinspires.com.

CLOSING WEEKEND NEWS AND NOTES – It was an extremely busy morning in the Churchill Downs paddock with several stakes runners schooling including Baeza, Blessed Flyer, Brant, Brilliant Berti, Dragoon Guard, Dr. Venkman, Imagination, Immersive, Shred the Gnar and Sovereignty. … Trainer Randy Morse reported Spun D M C is likely to scratch from Sunday’s Maxfield Stakes and run opening weekend at Ellis Park. … Rod and Bud Hatfield’s dominant last-out allowance winner Harrodsburg schooled in the Churchill Downs paddock Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s $275,000 Bango Stakes (GIII). “He’s a good feeling horse and behaved himself well in there,” trainer Mike Tomlinson said. “He worked well twice out of that allowance win and hoping he can run back to his last race on Saturday.” … Norman Stables’ five-time winner Coal Battle returns to dirt for Sunday’s $300,000 Hanshin presented by JRA (GIII). The son of Coal Front tested turf in the Arlington Stakes (GIII) but finished sixth, defeated 3 ¾ lengths to Lagynos. “We’re back doing something we know he likes, that’s running on dirt,” trainer Lonnie Briley said. “His race at Oaklawn (the Lake Ouichita Stakes) was a good race to come back in. He ran really well and just missed at the wire. I thought about running him against the big boys in the Oaklawn Handicap earlier in the meet but it was his first start off a layoff and the weather was bad this winter down there so he missed some training because of it. I think he’ll like the distance (in the Hanshin). We have some options this summer with him as well.” Coal Battle will be jockey Corey Lanerie’s final mount before retirement. … It was a family affair Thursday morning for the Patrick Biancone-trained Beach Gold, who galloped under his future son-in-law Keith Asmussen, with Biancone’s daughter, Andie, watching at the rail. Beach Gold shipped in to Churchill Downs earlier this week from Palm Meadows for Saturday’s $500,000 Wise Dan (GII). He’s listed at 20-1 on the morning line. … TwinSpires will have a special $3,500 Stephen Foster Betting Challenge that awards prizes such as seats to the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge, National Handicapping Championship and Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge plus cash. For more information, visit www.twinspires.com/tournaments.