Sovereignty’s Two Wins Presents A Golfers What If

The 2025 Triple Crown series is now in the history books and Sovereignty has left some feeling as if they just completed a round of golf. What in the world is that supposed to mean?… Let us expound.

With two extremely powerful runs, Sovereignty has captured both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Unleashed like a locomotive at the top of the stretch at Churchill Downs and Saratoga Race Course, this hard-closing colt ran past the front runners with relative ease. That means he was victorious in the bookend jewels. But what about the middle gemstone, the Preakness? Well, he didn’t run in that one thusly forgoing the opportunity to become the fourteenth Thoroughbred to win all three.

Impressive efforts on both the the first Saturday in May and at New York’s signature event has left horse racing fans and sports fans in general uttering that same two-word phrase lots of golfers (especially myself) use on a regular basis…What If…

What if I hadn’t sliced that ball into the woods…What if I hadn’t hit the ball right into the water…twice…What if I had made that three-foot putt…And what if I only took one stroke to get out of the sand trap…

Back to the more important what if and Sovereignty. His two performances against some of the best three-year-old males in the world in a five-week span speaks to his quality. There is no doubt he has the talent to be a Triple Crown champion, but what if you throw another mile and three sixteenths race into that five-week period? What if he ran back in two weeks, win or lose would it have affected his Belmont run? What if he had won the Preakness, would that have changed his Belmont opposition?…

Just days after his scintillating Kentucky Derby score, the decision was made to skip the Preakness and instead ready for a run at Belmont glory. The powers that be with ownership group Godolphin and hall of fame trainer Bill Mott deliberated and decided it was about what was best for Sovereignty. Refusing to allow the pressures of the general public to persuade them, the decision was made and they stuck with the plan.

On June 7, another huge effort from a runner that had rested for five weeks solidified Sovereignty as the real royalty of the three-year-old male division. At the same time, however, the big “what ifs” began flying like lightning bugs on a hot summer night.

So, how do we summarize? The Sovereignty situation should be treated much like a hacker’s golf round. Far be it for anyone with my golfing abilities to question another’s game. It’s better to simply enjoy the good shot or two you have and maintain a “next swing” mentality. The what ifs only drive you crazy and will not change the number you write on the scorecard (unless your pencil has an eraser).

Sovereignty didn’t run in the Preakness and time does not rewind itself. Obviously, his team understands the game as his Belmont performance speaks volumes. Godolphin is one of the winningest stables in the game and Bill Mott has won over 5,000 races. Let’s revel in those two wonderful wins and think about that next swing when he toes the track again.