The short answer is no … but he could be.
That of course partially depends on your definition of the best. In terms of pure sparkle it would be difficult for sovereignty to surpass arrogation. He is not that kind of renor, but his 3-year season has a very good chance of being better in general if he can beat older men at least once. Some, including myself, might consider his season better.
Speaking of older men, many are considering beating older horses in the fall, the most important criteria to define an elite 3-year-old man. American Pharoah checked that course in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic. So also, several subsequent champion 3-year-old men did.
If the best is defined by performance, the Triple Kroon justifies. Sovereignty may have done that too, but his connections chose to skip the preakness stakes. So his name will never be etched in the history books next to the 13 legends to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Of course Justify never raced after the Belmont deployment, so sovereignty has the entire second half of the year to add to his 3-year references. He already got the leap with a victory in the $ 500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun July 26 on Saratoga Race Course.
Soevereiny’s CV such as IT stands:
Here is the list of 3-year-old champions since American Pharoah: Arrogate (2016), West Coast (2017), Justify (2018), Maximum Security (2019), Authentic (2020), Essential Quality (2021), Epicenter (2022), Arcangelo (2024).
The two deployment of Arrogate in 2016 came in a Travers Runaway and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. That is quite close in terms of difficulty compared to the victories of Kentucky Derby of sovereignty and Belmont, although I claim that two Triple Crown Race victories have more prestige. Yet most racing analysts want to beat a 3-year-old of older horses before they express the word great, so let’s call it a shot with two degrees 1’s each and one of arrogates who come to older men in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
West Coast’s Two victories in 2017 came to the Travers Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby. I would claim that the derby and Belmont use Trump that with a considerable margin. Rand sovereignty.
After a victory in the degree 1, the Triple -Kroon justified Santa Anita Derby from which he was disqualified in 2024 for a violation of the medication. Sovereignty could still win the Draftings Travers Stakes on August 23 on Saratoga and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic November 1 in Del Mar. Would that push him past Justify? For the type of analysis that appreciates a victory over older horses, the answer would most likely be a yes. It would be a difficult debate for me. I think Justify criminal is underestimated (and I wasn’t even a fan when he was active). The triple crown is such a monumental performance. It would be very close.
Although he finished first in the Kentucky Derby, the disqualification of maximum security in the run for the roses harms his case compared to sovereignty. He defeated older men in the cigarmile in the three wins in degrees 1, but does Florida Derby, Haskell Invitational and Cigar Mile wear the influence of Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes? Not for me, and certainly not if sovereignty adds one victory to the Travers or Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Authentic is interesting. What a peculiar year was the COVID-19 Broken 2020 season … just a complete scrambling. Authentic won the Haskell Stakes, Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic in that order and also became second in both the Santa Anita Derby and an October edition of The Preakness. With five graded stakes victories and two seconds in class 1, it is difficult to argue about authenticity at the moment, but sovereignty could come if he continues to win.
Essential quality won a few degrees 1s in 2021 (Belmont and Travers Stakes) and finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic; Epicenter had a strong campaign in 2022, but his only victory of degree 1 came in the travers; Arcangelo was another winner of Belmont-Travers with two degrees 1 victories. None of the three reports older men. The edge goes to sovereignty over all three.
Sierra Leone won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic for his two degrees 1 wins and he placed in two -thirds of the Triple Crown. I prefer the CV of Sovereiny somewhat because he is a much more consistent winner. He is less pace-dependent despite the fact that he has a similar running style, but I understand why others prefer the classic victory against older horses. It’s close.
Pre-travers, if I ranked the best 3-year-olds since the American Pharoah, I would judge them: justify, authentic and then sovereignty with a razor-thin edge compared to arrogate and Sierra Leone because of how high I appreciate a Kentucky derby victory.
That said, a mandatory matter could be made for both Arrogate and Sierra Leone about sovereignty. In my estimate, a travers victory for sovereignty would clear him clearly for both Arrogate and Sierra Leone and at least in the conversation with Justify and Authentic. In my opinion, wins through sovereignty in the travers and the Breeders’ Cup Classic would stimulate him beyond both, and at that moment you could start the sovereignty versus the American Pharoah discussion. But … that is far away and the older male division this year is deep and very talented. Sovereignty has carved his work for him. Stay informed!
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