LEXINGTON, Ky.― Setting a track record in winning last Saturday’s $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), Gold Square LLC’s Cyberknife has moved into seventh place in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, while unbeaten Flightline maintains his overall lead. The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings is a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 5.
The 3-year-old Cyberknife, trained by Brad Cox, earned his fourth win in six starts this year, defeating Taiba by a head in the Haskell at Monmouth Park, and completed the 1 1/8 miles in track-record time of 1:46.24. Cyberknife, a son of 2017 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Gun Runner, received 69 votes.
Flightline, owned by Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, remains at No. 1 in the rankings for the fifth consecutive week. Trained by John Sadler, who won the 2018 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) with Accelerate, Flightline has 235 votes. The 4-year-old Olympiad, owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable LLC, and LNJ Foxwoods, is in second place with 197 votes. Trained by Bill Mott, Olympiad is undefeated in five starts this year. In 1995, Mott trained Cigar to an undefeated season of 10 victories, culminating with a triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Belmont Park. Mott also won the Classic in 2011 saddling Drosselmeyer.
CHC, Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC’s 4-year-old Life Is Good, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the John A. Nerud Stakes (G2), is in third place with 194 votes for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Country Grammer, owned by Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC, WinStar Farm LLC, and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., and trained by Bob Baffert, is in fourth place with 151 votes. Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss’ 4-year-old Hot Rod Charlie, who finished second in the Dubai World Cup, remains in fifth place with 121 votes.
Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Epicenter, runner-up in both the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Preakness Stakes (G1), is in sixth place with 72 votes. Following the seventh-ranked Cyberknife is Klaravich Stables Inc.’s Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting, trained by Chad Brown. Early Voting is in eighth place with 64 votes.
Two more horses trained by Pletcher have joined the top 10. Whisper Hill Farm, LLC’s 3-year-old Charge It, a 23-length winner of the Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park on July 2, is in ninth place with 38 votes, and Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable’s Dynamic One, who captured the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont on July 9, is in 10th place with 33 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. 11. A list of voting members can be found here.
In the Longines 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 – July 26, 2022*
| Rank | Horse | Votes | First-Place Votes | Previous Week |
| 1 | Flightline | 235 | 20 | 1 |
| 2 | Olympiad | 197 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Life Is Good | 194 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Country Grammer | 151 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Hot Rod Charlie | 121 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Epicenter | 72 | 0 | 6 |
| 7 | Cyberknife | 69 | 0 | Not Rated |
| 8 | Early Voting | 64 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | Charge It | 38 | 0 | 12 |
| 10 | Dynamic One | 33 | 0 | 13 |
*Note – The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The 2022 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track at Keeneland, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.
Breeders’ Cup Press Release
Photo: BC Week 5 Graphic (Breeders’ Cup)
