Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty, a leading candidate for Horse of the Year honors, is preparing to compete as a 4-year-old, according to Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan.
Speaking to FanDuel TV's Caton Bredar at Gulfstream Park, Banahan said that Sovereignty has been galloping in Lexington over the last few weeks and will join Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's string at Payson Park Training Center in Indiantown, Fla., "early in the new year."
"We'll get him with Bill and then roll on and hopefully have as good a year next year as we had this year," Banahan said.
Speaking with Bredar after winning the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) with Godolphin's Knightsbridge, Mott said that he was hoping Sovereignty would join him at Payson in "about a week."
"It would be a good New Year's present," Mott added.
Following his Triple Crown heroics, Sovereignty raced twice at Saratoga Race Course with a win in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) before romping by 10 lengths in the Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 23.
Sovereignty then shipped to Del Mar where he was the morning-line favorite for the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), but scratched a few days before the race with a fever.
In six starts this season, Sovereignty won five, including three grade 1s, and was second in the Florida Derby (G1) for earnings of $5,692,000.
