Dornoch scoring the Haskell. (Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Son of Good Magic Remains Atop List 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 third straight week, holding the advantage with 286 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, by Good Magic, put together back-to-back wins in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) for trainer Danny Gargan.
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.
Arthur’s Ride held fast in the No. 2 spot with 250 votes for a second week after his dominant Whitney Stakes (G1) score. The 4-year-old Florida bred son of Tapit won the Whitney by 2 1/4 lengths in his graded stakes debut 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.
Repole Stable’s Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun (G2) winner Fierceness ranks third with 191 votes for trainer Todd Pletcher. Fellow 3-year-old 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 182 votes for owner Susumu Fujita and trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC, and Peter Brant’s 3-year-old Sierra Leone, second in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, third in the Belmont Stakes for trainer Chad Brown and second in the Jim Dandy last out, ranks fifth with 150 votes.
Sixth in the Whitney last out, the 4-year-old National Treasure dropped to sixth place with 149 votes. National Treasure is 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.
The 6-year-old Saudi Cup (G1) winner Senor Buscador ranks seventh with 140 votes for trainer Todd Fincher and owner Peacock Family Racing Stable, LLC.
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, is in eighth place with 125 votes.
Spendthrift Farm LLC’s 4-year-old Kingsbarns ranks ninth with 118 votes. Trained by Pletcher, Kingsbarns secured an automatic berth for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic when he won the June 29 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs.
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), remains 10th with 104 votes for trainer Noboru Takagi.
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 – Aug. 13, 2024*
| Rank | Horse | Votes | First-Place Votes | Previous Week |
| 1 | Dornoch | 286 | 15 | 1 |
| 2 | Arthur’s Ride | 250 | 6 | 2 |
| 3 | Fierceness | 191 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Forever Young (JPN) | 182 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | Sierra Leone | 150 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | National Treasure | 149 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Senor Buscador | 140 | 3 | 6 |
| 8 | City of Troy | 125 | 3 | 9 |
| 9 | Kingsbarns | 118 | 2 | 8 |
| 10 | Ushba Tesoro (JPN) | 104 | 1 | 10 |
*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.
