It’s just plain remarkable that the defending champion of last year’s Breeder’s Cup Classic, the veteran Sierra Leone, carries such officially low expectations into the same $7-million race this Saturday. First it’s an indication of the tremendous skewing force exercised by the clear candidate for Horse of the Year, Sovereignty. Obviously, Sovereignty was winning in 2024, but as an emerging two-year-old and wasn’t on the Classic radar. But more pointedly, Sierra Leone’s relatively low status on the Del Mar morning line.