With the recent retirement of 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty, I am reflecting on the time I spent photographing him at Saratoga from 2024-2026 while shooting for The Saratoga Special. In this post, I will share some of my favorite photos of this multiple grade 1 winning son of Into Mischief.
Sovereignty warms up before his debut on Travers day 2024, where he would finish fourth. It would be the only time in his 13-start career that he would finish off the board.
Exercise rider Damian Hinds sits atop Sovereignty on a fall morning in 2024.
Assistant trainer Neil Poznansky exercises Sovereignty a week before he would break his maiden in the Grade III Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Exercise rider Jimmy Quispe jogs Sovereignty out to the track in the spring of 2025.
Sovereignty (left) stands among a set of Bill Mott trainees. Click here to read the online edition of this issue of The Special.
This sequence shows Sovereignty galloping over the Oklahoma Track.
Sovereignty was one of three horses on the cover of The Special on Belmont day 2025. Click here to read the online edition of The Special.
Assistant trainer Neil Poznansky (left) and groom Indalecio Martínez lead Sovereignty around the paddock prior to the Belmont Stakes.
Jockey Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty’s regular rider, pumps his fist as he nears the wire in the Belmont Stakes.
Alvarado celebrates his win.
Alvarado throws the flowers from the flower blanket as Sovereignty enters the winner’s circle.
Sovereignty’s connections, including caretaker Erma Scott, assistant trainer Neil Poznansky, groom Indalecio Martínez, and jockey Junior Alvarado, beam in the winner’s circle.
Sovereignty is led out of the winner’s circle by groom Indalecio Martínez
Sovereignty rests on his laurels following his Belmont score.
Jimmy Quispe gallops Sovereignty over Saratoga’s main track in the summer of 2025.
Sovereignty gallops in the morning light over the Oklahoma Track.
Hot walker Yonibel Correa grazes Sovereignty after a gallop.
Neil Poznansky ponies Sovereignty to the Oklahoma Track for a gallop. Click here to read the online edition of this issue of The Special.
Sovereignty heads to the post for the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes.
Sovereignty and the rest of the Jim Dandy field round the clubhouse turn.
Sovereignty beat the likes of grade 1 winner Sandman and future grade 1 winner Baeza that day.
Sovereignty gallops out from his Jim Dandy victory. Click here to read the online edition of this issue of The Special.
Sovereignty heads to the test barn after the Jim Dandy.
Sovereignty schools in the paddock ahead of the Travers.
Sovereignty, Jimmy Quispe, pony Rocky, and Neil Poznansky head to the Oklahoma Track.
Sovereignty preps for the Travers with Jimmy Quispe onboard. Click here to read the online edition of The Special.
Hall of Fame jockey Ángel Cordero, Jr. (left) was among those admiring Sovereignty in the paddock before the Travers.
The field breaks from the gate in the 2025 Travers Stakes, with Sovereignty departing from post 4.
Sovereignty cruises to victory in the Travers.
Junior Alvarado blows a kiss after his victory in the Midsummer Derby.
Alvarado pumps his fist as he returns to the winner’s circle aboard Sovereignty.
Sovereignty’s people greet him and Alvarado.
Alvarado throws the flowers from the flower blanket as he and Sovereignty enter the winner’s circle.
Erma Scott feeds Sovereignty a carrot after his Travers win.
Yonibel Correa walks Sovereignty around the shed row before a morning gallop in the fall of 2025.
Jimmy Quipse flashes the peace sign after returning to the barn.
Sovereignty heads out to the track before dawn.
Sovereignty gallops in the morning fog.
Yonibel Correa grazes Sovereignty on a beautiful fall morning.
Sovereignty gallops out from a breeze with Neil Poznansky onboard.
The beautiful morning light hits Sovereignty’s face as he gets a bath.
Sovereignty warms up for his final breeze of 2025, ponied by outrider Jesse Costa.
Neil Poznansky looks behind him as Sovereignty completes his breeze.
Trainer Bill Mott ponies Sovereignty on the Oklahoma Track in the spring of 2026.
Sovereignty gallops around the turn in this sequence.
Sovereignty gallops over the Oklahoma Track in the summers of 2026.
Erma Scott feeds her pal Sovereignty a carrot.
Sovereignty zooms by in a gallop leading up to the Whitney.
Sovereignty is walked around the paddock before the Whitney.
Indalecio Martínez keeps an eye on Sovereignty while he gets saddled for the Whitney.
The Whitney field heads around the clubhouse turn, with Sovereignty in his usual spot at the back of the pack.
Sovereignty beat four grade 1 winners that day: Nitrogen, Magnitude, Baeza, and White Abarrio.
Sovereignty gallops out from his gratifying win in the Whitney, putting him in the conversation for champion older dirt male.
Maggie Wolfendale interviews Junior Alvarado after his victory. Outrider Miguel Gutiérrez is at right.
Sovereignty gets hosed off before heading to the test barn.
Sovereignty heads to the test barn.
Sovereignty is no stranger to the flower blanket.
Sovereignty heads back to the barn after a breeze, with Neil Poznansky onboard and Emma Peterson on the pony.
Sovereignty gallops over the Oklahoma Track in the fall of 2026.
Sovereignty is ponied onto the track by Bill Mott for his final breeze at Saratoga on October 18, 2026.
Sovereignty and his workmate Thunder Roll cover five furlongs in 1:02.76.
Sovereignty gets a bath after his final work at the Spa.
This illustration I made of Sovereignty winning the Belmont overlaid on a program is one of my favorites. Click here to see more of my illustrations.
Happy retirement, Sovereignty! Can’t wait to see your progeny follow in your footsteps in a few years!
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on X, Instagram and Facebook. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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