Horse of the Year candidate and MGISW Sovereignty (Into Mischief) will return to racing in 2026. The news was confirmed by Godolphin's Michael Banahan in an interview Saturday with FanDuel TV.
Questioned about the stable's star runner, Banahan told FanDuel's Caton Bredar that Sovereignty was “doing great”.
“He's up in Kentucky at the moment,” Banahan said. “He's at Keeneland. He's galloping–doing fine. We'll probably get him down here to Payson [Park] early in the new year and get him [trainer] Bill [Mott]. Hopefully we'll have as a good a year as last year.”
As a 3-year-old, Sovereignty earned over $5.6m, beginning his season with a win in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes. After running second to Tappan Street (Into Mischief) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby in April, Sovereignty would go undefeated the rest of the year, winning the GI Kentucky Derby, the GI Belmont Stakes, the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes. He was training up to a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic last month when an ill-timed fever forced his scratch in California.
“We'll probably get him down here to Payson early in the new year.” @CBredar asked the question and @Godolphin's Michael Banahan gave the answer. SOVEREIGNTY will return in 2026! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/lglkAlTw8h
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 27, 2025
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