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Sovereignty, the top-ranked horse in the country, will not run in the $7-million Breeders’ Cup Classic after developing a fever this week. The winner of the Kentucky Derby , Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes will recover although it’s unclear if he will ever race again.

Trainer Bill Mott made the announcement Wednesday morning and informed Breeders’ Cup officials of the scratch.

“I actually started thinking, ‘We might be OK.’ But then, in a matter of hours, my optimism was taken away,” Mott said. “When he had a real mild fever and we medicated him right away, he acted normal. I actually was maybe looking at it with rose-colored glasses.”

On Wednesday morning, Sovereignty was s

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