BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 31, 2026

Junior Alvarado

Bill Mott

Michael Banahan

Sovereignity

Keeneland Race Course

Classic

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. We have jockey Junior Alvarado, trainer Bill Mott, and director of Bloodstock for Godolphin, Michael Banahan.

Sovereignty, Breeders' Cup Classic winner, very impressive today.

Junior, we'll start with you. This horse has meant so much to you in your career. Take us through this race. It couldn't have set up any better for you, and you had a lot of horse the entire way.

JUNIOR ALVARADO: He broke good like he always does. Coming into the first turn, I thought I was sitting in a beautiful spot where I wanted to be. Got to save ground like I planted in my head before the race. When we turned the back side, I was very confident, the way he was traveling. He was like very nice in the bridle in the whole time kind of letting me know he was ready for me at any time.

Like I said, he was just waiting. He couldn't really wait for me to really get him in the clear at one point. When we hit the 3 pole, like I said, put him in the clear, started picking it up little by little without me actually asking him, which at that point, I was like they're going to be in trouble.

He just barely start picking it up, and I could feel how fast he was getting to the horses and the lead. It was right before we turned for home and switched lead.

I mean, I knew no other horse could have come in faster than the way he was going at the end.

THE MODERATOR: Incredible performance, and as always, a very good ride.

Bill, this horse this year, a little bit of not the smoothest road on the way to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Just kind of talk about along the way some bumps in the road, but getting to this important day.

BILL MOTT: The only puzzling race was the Stephen Foster, and it was a very slippery track that day. I don't think he enjoyed it. You know, his first race, I'm going to forgive him for that. He was off eight months and we had a useful number of works in him, but he probably wasn't cranked down a hundred percent and a good horse beat him on that day. We were second.

The horse who beat him was a Breeders' Cup winner previously and proved that he could really run, and I thought that he would move forward from that.

But then we got to the Whitney and we got a track that he appreciated. He really, he just blew them away that day and beat a really grand filly who won a Breeders' Cup race today in Nitrogen.

We had some hiccups. We had the foot abscess, and that took some time. Fortunately that happened far enough out away from the Breeders' Cup that we had time to deal with it and get it right. It wasn't like it happened the week before, two weeks before. We had time to get over it and get a bunch of -- you know, a nice group of works in him.

His last work here was very good at Keeneland. I think it gave us all some confidence that he was doing well. I knew if he showed up that he'd be hard to beat. I mean, if you look back on his race in the Kentucky Derby and the Travers Stakes, he reached Tappan in the Travers Stakes and he opened up 10 on him from the 8th pole to the wire.

I just know how talented and what a train he is. He's a magnificent horse. I've had a couple good ones, but you could almost say he's a once-in-a-lifetime horse.

THE MODERATOR: And, Michael, speaking of that, he's given Godolphin a couple of big firsts. The first in the Kentucky Derby, first now in the Breeders' Cup Classic. So just a real lifetime horse.

MICHAEL BANAHAN: Absolutely. We've been waiting for him for a long time. What he's done, did last year, and obviously 12 months ago we were pretty crushed that he couldn't run in the Breeders' Cup Classic last year, but gave us an opportunity then to keep him in training and come here today, his hometown, our hometown for our operation with Godolphin.

The job Bill and his team has done to get this horse from last year to today in the shape that he's in is an unbelievable trainer performance. You'll see some words written, but to put those into operation and all those little things that have happened along the way and the patience that Bill has shown to get him there to do that is unbelievable.

We've seen it time and again. If you want to have a horse peaking on a certain day, this is the man you want to have in your corner. We had him in great shape for the Whitney, and we were so looking forward to the Jockey Club to eventually get him back in 1 1/4 mile, which is where he really excels. So this is the first time in 1 1/4 mile since Travers last year. It's a long way to get him there to go on his favorite distance.

Again, Junior, so much confidence in him. Gave him a super ride. People were asking me all day are you concerned? Are you anxious? Are you worried about it? For some reason, I was just sort of calm about the race today, especially having Knightsbridge in there as well, and he ran a fabulous race as well and tried all the way to the wire.

For him just to do what he did, we saw that work last weekend, and ever since then, he sort of thrived all week long, and every gallop we saw in here this week was special. We're thrilled to pieces. It's a great honor for Sheikh Mohammed, the founder of Godolphin, to have the Kentucky Derby winner and the Classic winner with the same horse. He's a horse of a lifetime for us.

Q. Just the significance for Godolphin to have a Breeders' Cup Classic winner at last.

MICHAEL BANAHAN: We've had several horses run in it before and be placed in it before. It's one of the great races globally. We want to compete in the big races all the time, and that is what the boss wants to do as well, he wants to compete in these big races.

There's none really bigger when your championship showcase today in the last race on Breeders' Cup day is the one everyone wants to win. As I said, to win it today is very significant. It was so special to have Sovereignty come back, win the Whitney, which is a special race in its own right, and then come back and win today as well.

Just to prove what a great horse he was as a 3-year-old as well.

Q. Bill, as you're watching Knightsbridge on the lead there, 11 and 2 were loose, is there any part of you who thought, this guy might do it?

BILL MOTT: Yeah, momentarily. I thought he was in good shape and he'll try all the way to the wire. But I was also looking behind him, and I saw the position the other horse was in. He was by himself. He was not hindered in the spot he was in. I could see that he was traveling very well.

As Junior said as he started to leave the 3/8 pole and started to pick it up, everybody in the race is going to have to deal with Sovereignty right now.

Q. I know you didn't dwell on not being able to run in the race last year, but when he crossed the wire, for you personally, was there a bit of an exhale?

BILL MOTT: It was a real unbelievable feeling just because I know what we missed last year; we missed the opportunity. Look, I'm not so sure he couldn't have done it last year, but it just wasn't meant to be. Thank goodness we had the opportunity to try again, and the Godolphin team made the decision to keep him in training this year, and that's a huge risk.

I must say, I'd say Michael Banahan, Dan Pride, Sheikh Mohammed, they made the decision, and it worked out really well. I can't say enough.

I must say one other thing. I think the Breeders' Cup made a really good decision-making this race the last race today instead of the fourth or fifth race on the card. It just -- I mean, there's just such a much bigger feeling. There's so many races to look forward to. You don't want a race like this to underscore or overshadow the rest of the races.

I think they had some great racing today, and I think the decision to make it the last race was terrific. For me and our team, what a great way to end the day.

Q. Junior, we know how important Sovereignty is to you and your career. Can you just describe what you were feeling in the moment when you were coming back after winning, hearing the crowd cheer for him, knowing that was probably the last time you're sitting on his back?

JUNIOR ALVARADO: Yeah, I just was thanking him like a million times, telling him thanks for all that he did for me last year and all that we have done together. Like I said, he just has done so many things, great things, amazing things for my career, personal, and in my career as a jockey.

Like I said, just blessed and just glad to be in such a team with Bill Mott and team Godolphin. It always makes things much easier for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations to all of you and to Sovereignty and team Godolphin on your Breeders' Cup Classic win here at beautiful Keeneland in your home. Congratulations.