Dornoch would not be denied but Mindframe gave a great effort. (Susie Raisher)
Of Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings
Weekly International Poll Tracks Leading Contenders for $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar
Top 10 includes Three Stars from Japan
Breeders’ Cup Release
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), which will be run Nov. 2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
There were 284 votes each awarded to the 3-year-old Dornoch, trained by Danny Gargan and owned in partnership by West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Jayson Werth’s Two Eight Racing, LLC, and Pine Racing Stables, and the 4-year-old National Treasure, trained by Bob Baffert and owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan.
National Treasure is entered in Saturday’s Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, with the race winner gaining an automatic starting position in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
Repole Stable’s 3-year-old Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, is in third place with 211 votes, following his 1-length victory over Sierra Leone in last Saturday’s Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun (G2) at Saratoga.
Susumu Fugita’s Forever Young (JPN), winner of the UAE Derby sponsored by Atlantis the Royal (G2) and third in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), is in fourth place with 200 votes for trainer Yoshito Yahagi. Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC, and Peter Brant’s Sierra Leone, second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes for trainer Chad Brown, is in fifth place with 171 votes.
Spendthrift Farm LLC’s 4-year-old Kingsbarns is in sixth place with 143 votes. Also trained by Pletcher, Kingsbarns secured an automatic start into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic when he won the June 29 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old Senor Buscador, who won the Saudi Cup (G1) for trainer Todd Fincher, is in seventh place with 132 votes.
Horses based overseas complete places eight through 10 in the Rankings, beginning with Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s 3-year-old City of Troy, who is in eighth place with 128 votes. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the Kentucky-bred son of Justify won the Betfred (English) Derby (G1) at Epsom and the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown (G1) against older horses this year.
Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd.’s 7-year-old Ushba Tesoro (JPN), second in the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup (G1) sponsored by Emirates Airlines (G1), is in ninth place with 126 votes for trainer Noboru Takagi. Hiroyuki Asanuma’s 4-year-old Derma Sotagake (JPN), who finished second in last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, is in 10th place with 94 votes for trainer Hidetaka Otonashi.
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. 8. 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 – July 30, 2024*
| Rank | Horse | Total Votes | First-Place Votes |
| 1 | Dornoch | 284 | 7 |
| 1 | National Treasure | 284 | 16 |
| 3 | Fierceness | 211 | 2 |
| 4 | Forever Young (JPN) | 200 | 1 |
| 5 | Sierra Leone | 171 | 1 |
| 6 | Kingsbarns | 143 | 2 |
| 7 | Senor Buscador | 132 | 0 |
| 8 | City of Troy | 128 | 6 |
| 9 | Ushba Tesoro (JPN) | 126 | 1 |
| 10 | Derma Sotagake (JPN) | 94 | 0 |
*Note – The Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 1/4 miles on the main track at Del Mar, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.
