Fierceness, the Grade 1 Travers Stakes winner at Saratoga, continues to hold the top spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings, while Highland Falls, the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner, has made his debut in the top 10.
Fierceness, who also won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and was named the 2023 Champion 2-Year-Old Male for trainer Todd Pletcher, leads the rankings with 343 votes. The rankings, now in their sixth week, are dominated by 3-year-olds, with the top five positions held by horses in this age group.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings provide a weekly assessment of the top 10 contenders for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is scheduled for November 2 at Del Mar.
City of Troy has moved into second place with 295 votes. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the son of Justify secured his spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a victory in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York.
In third place is Forever Young, winner of the UAE Derby (G2) and third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby. He earned 241 votes for trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
Sierra Leone, who finished third in the Travers, climbed to fourth place with 185 votes, while Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch holds fifth place with 153 votes under the guidance of trainer Danny Gargan.
Highland Falls made a strong entrance into the rankings, landing in sixth place with 134 votes following a decisive four-length win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 1 at Saratoga. Trained by Brad Cox, the 4-year-old son of Curlin also secured an automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic with this victory.
Arthur’s Ride, a 4-year-old who won the Whitney (G1), slipped from second to seventh place with 130 votes after finishing fifth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He is trained by Bill Mott.
Seven-year-old Ushba Tesoro, who finished second in both the Saudi Cup (G1) and the Dubai World Cup (G1), moved up to eighth place with 199 votes for trainer Noboru Takagi.
Derma Sotogake, the 4-year-old runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, occupies ninth place with 96 votes.
The 6-year-old Saudi Cup winner Señor Buscador dropped from seventh to 10th place with 94 votes for trainer Todd Fincher.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings are determined by a panel of Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders’ Cup racing directors-secretaries panel, who vote on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system.