Reigning Horse of the Year SOVEREIGNTY got his first feel of the Oaklawn racing surface Wednesday morning, galloping a mile in advance of his 2026 debut in Saturday’s $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2).
Escorted to the track by his Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott, Sovereignty visited the indoor paddock and galloped after the first surface renovation break.
“Easy day,” Mott said. “He was ready to do something. He was happy that he was able to do something.”
The Oaklawn Handicap will mark the 4-year-old debut of Sovereignty, who won five of six starts last year for Mott and breeder/owner Godolphin, including two legs of the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes). Sovereignty was also North America’s champion 3-year-old male of 2025.
Sovereignty hasn’t started since a 10-length romp in the Travers Stakes (G1) at 1 ¼ miles Aug. 23 at Saratoga. Sovereignty, who has never faced older horses, vanned to Oaklawn after previously being based in south Florida. The son of super sire Into Mischief arrived Tuesday morning.
“It’s a long trip, but it was a good trip,” Mott said. “Sovereignty unloaded good and looked fine and ate up well and seems like he’s got good energy.”
Sovereignty is one of six horses entered in the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap, which headlines a 12-race card that begins at 12:45 p.m. CDT Saturday. Probable post time for the Oaklawn Handicap, the 11th race, is 6:20 p.m. Two other stakes races will be run Saturday – $200,000 Bathhouse Row for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles and the $200,000 Valley of the Vapors for 3-year-old fillies at one mile.
The Oaklawn Handicap field from the rail out: White Abarrio, Irad Ortiz to ride, 121 pounds, 7-2 on the morning line; Liberal Arts, Reynier Arrieta, 116, 15-1; Sovereignty, Junior Alvarado, 123, 4-5; Duke of Duval, Keith Asmussen, 116, 20-1; Journalism, Jose Ortiz, 119, 5-2; and Publisher, Erik Asmussen, 118, 15-1.
Journalism was also one of the country’s top 3-year-olds of 2025 after winning the Preakness – the second leg of the Triple Crown – Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) and running second behind Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont for Southern California-based trainer Michael McCarthy.
Journalism, Publisher and Duke of Duval stood in the gate together Wednesday morning. Publisher and Duke of Duval are trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
Millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner White Abarrio galloped after the first surface renovation break Wednesday morning for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. White Abarrio won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). The first of the “Big Three” to commit to the Oaklawn Handicap was White Abarrio and his connections never wavered on that commitment.
Roughly two months later, the highly accomplished White Abarrio will face, for the first time, reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty and 2025 Preakness winner Journalism in Saturday’s $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses, a 1 1/8-mile race that is one of the most anticipated in Oaklawn’s 121-year history.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. revealed Feb. 18 that the south Florida-based White Abarrio was pointing for the Oaklawn Handicap, which drew a field of six.
“We’re not scared of competition,” White Abarrio’s co-owner, Mark Cornett, said Wednesday morning. “This is what this sport needs. When’s the last time you saw three good horses like this match up? It’s been a while. I can’t remember the last time. It’s good to see. Oaklawn does a heck of a job and with a $1.25 million purse, you’re going to attract horses like this, you would think.”
In his only start this year, White Abarrio finished second behind stablemate Skippylongstocking in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park. White Abarrio won the 2025 Pegasus, one of several high-profile victories for the now-7-year-old gray son of 2015 Oaklawn Handicap champion Race Day. White Abarrio also won the 2022 Florida Derby (G1), 2023 Whitney Stakes (G1) and the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
White Abarrio ($7,713,920) ranks 34th in North American history in career purse earnings, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Now racing for Cornett’s C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable, White Abarrio has a 10-3-3 record from 25 career starts.
“Just a sound horse that wants to keep running,” Cornett said. “We haven’t over raced him. At this point in his career, Saffie and us, C2, and Gary, we know the horse very well, what he’s happy with, what he likes to do. It’s just about keeping him happy on the racetrack.”
White Abarrio was vanned to Oaklawn and arrived Monday.
“I think they were on the road for 18 hours,” Cornett said. “He’s doing great. He came in here perfect.”
White Abarrio has never raced at Oaklawn. Joseph won the 2024 Oaklawn Handicap with Skippylongstocking. Now 7, Skippylongstocking won the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) March 21. The 1 1/8-mile Essex was a major local prep for the Oaklawn Handicap.
Probable post time for the Oaklawn Handicap, the 11th of 12 races, is 6:20 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:45 p.m.
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