Bill Mott, a Hall of Fame trainer renowned for his success at New York tracks, has yet to win the Travers Stakes despite 13 attempts and three runner-up finishes. This year, he aims to break that streak with Sovereignty, a dual classic winner and the overwhelming 2-5 favorite. Sovereignty, praised by Mott as the best 3-year-old colt he has trained, recently won the Jim Dandy Stakes and is poised to contend strongly for the 3-year-old championship against rivals like Journalism.

The Travers field is small but competitive, highlighted by Sovereignty’s main challenger Magnitude, a speed-oriented colt who overcame injury setbacks to win the Risen Star and Iowa Derby impressively. Other contenders include Bracket Buster, expected to set early pace, and Strategic Focus, a lightly raced Gun Runner colt trained by Chad Brown, who is also seeking his first Travers victory. McAfee rounds out the field, bringing consistent graded stakes form to the race at Saratoga on August 23, 2025.