Dornoch scoring the Haskell. (Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Son of Good Magic Remains No. 1 in Poll of Leading Contenders for $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar
Breeders’ Cup Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. ― Multiple Grade 1 winner Dornoch retained his lead in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings for a fourth consecutive week, garnering 282 votes.
Owned 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, 3-year-old Dornoch has been entered in Saturday’s Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Danny Gargan, the 3-year-old son of Good Magic has back-to-back victories in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Haskell Stakes (G1) and is seeking his third straight Grade 1 win.
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.
Glassman Racing’s Arthur’s Ride retains the No. 2 spot with 231 votes. The 4-year-old Florida-bred son of Tapit won the Aug. 3 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga for trainer Bill Mott, and earned an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
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), moved into third place this week with 201 votes for owner Susumu Fujita and trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
Repole Stable’s Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun (G2) winner Fierceness drops back one position to fourth place with 198 votes for trainer Todd Pletcher. Fierceness has also been entered in the Travers.
The 6-year-old Saudi Cup (G1) winner Senor Buscador jumped two places, moving from seventh place to fifth with 140 votes for trainer Todd Fincher and owner Peacock Family Racing Stable, LLC.
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC, and Peter Brant’s 3-year-old Sierra Leone is in sixth place with 144 votes. Trained by Chad Brown, Sierra Leone, second in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Belmont Stakes, and second in the Jim Dandy last out, is also entered in the Travers.
The 4-year-old National Treasure, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), is in seventh place with 142 votes for trainer Bob Baffert and owners SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, and Catherine Donovan.
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith’s 3-year-old City of Troy, who won the Betfred (English) Derby (G1) at Epsom and the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown (G1) for trainer Aidan O’Brien, remains in eighth place with 132 votes. City of Troy leads the field for the Wednesday’s Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge event for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
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), rises to ninth place with 101 votes for trainer Noboru Takagi.
Coming back into the top 10 from 11th place last week, with 142 votes, is Hiroyuki Asanuma’s 4-year-old Derma Sotogake (JPN), who finished second in last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic for trainer Hidetaka Otonashi.
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.
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.
Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 20, 2024*
| Rank | Horse | Votes | First-Place Votes | Previous Week |
| 1 | Dornoch | 282 | 14 | 1 |
| 2 | Arthur’s Ride | 231 | 5 | 2 |
| 3 | Forever Young (JPN) | 201 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Fierceness | 198 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Senor Buscador | 147 | 3 | 7 |
| 6 | Sierra Leone | 144 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | National Treasure | 142 | 2 | 6 |
| 8 | City of Troy | 132 | 4 | 8 |
| 9 | Ushba Tesoro (JPN) | 101 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Derma Sotogake (JPN) | 75 | 1 | 11 |
*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.
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