Arcangelo runs away in the Travers under Javier Castellano (NYRA/Coglianese)
First Five Positions Unchanged in Week #9
Breeders’ Cup Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.― Blue Rose Farm’s 3-year-old Arcangelo maintained his overall lead in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings for the third consecutive week, while the top five positions remained unchanged following the ninth week of voting. The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), which will be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Arcangelo, winner of the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Travers Stakes (G1), earned 289 votes, including 24 first-place votes. Pin Oak Stud LLC’s 3-year-old Geaux Rocket Ride, runner-up in the FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic (G1), is in second place with 234 votes. Pacific Classic winner Arabian Knight, owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.,is in third place with 220 votes. C2 Racing Stable, LLC, and La Milagrosa Stable, LLC’s Whitney Stakes (G1) winner White Abarrio remains in fourth with 216 votes. Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Forte, winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2),ranks fifth with 155 votes.
Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Bright Future, also owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, has moved into sixth place with 118 votes. Godolphin’s 5-year-old Proxy, second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup,ranks seventh with 114 votes.
Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd.’s Ushba Tesoro (JPN), winner of the Dubai World Cup (G1), has moved from 10th place to eighth this week. Mage, winner of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), is ninth with 53 votes, followed by Jeff Drown’s 4-year-old Zandon, runner-up in the Whitney, who ranks 10th with 52 votes.
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 10. A list of voting members can be found here.
In the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.
Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings – Sept. 12, 2023*
| Rank | Horse | Votes | First-Place Votes | Previous Week |
| 1 | Arcangelo | 289 | 24 | 1 |
| 2 | Geaux Rocket Ride | 234 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Arabian Knight | 220 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | White Abarrio | 216 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | Forte | 155 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Bright Future | 118 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | Proxy | 114 | 0 | 6 |
| 8 | Ushba Tesoro | 64 | 2 | 10 |
| 9 | Mage | 53 | 0 | 9 |
| 10 | Zandon | 52 | 0 | 8 |
*Note – The Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The 2023 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 1/4 miles on the main track at Santa Anita, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
