Fierceness Leads Final BCC Rankings 

Fierceness piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez galloping to victory in the Juvenile at Santa Anita. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)

Travers Stakes Win Took Repole Stable Colt to Top of Poll Among Contenders for $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar

Breeders’ Cup Release

LEXINGTON, Ky. ― Repole Stable’s 3-year-old Fierceness, winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and Travers Stakes (G1), has finished in the lead in the final Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings. Last year’s FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and champion 2-year-old male earned 304 votes following Week #11 voting.

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings is 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. 

Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, was voted in third place during the July 30 first week of voting after winning the Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course, trailing Week #1 co-leaders Dornoch and National Treasure. Following his win in the Aug. 24 Travers, Fierceness, a son of City of Light out of the Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, rose to the top of the rankings and stayed there the rest of the way. He earned 339 votes in the 11^th and final week of voting. 

Fierceness finished ahead of Mrs. John Magner, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith’s Betfred Derby (G1) and Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) winner City of Troy, trained by Aidan O’Brien, who registering 263 votes. Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young (JPN),third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) for trainer Yoshito Yahagi, finished second with 255 votes. 

Sierra Leone finished fourth for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC, and Peter Brant. Trained by Chad Brown, Sierra Leone, second in the Kentucky Derby, earned 158 votes. 

Godolphin’s 4-year-old Highland Falls, winner of Saratoga’s Sept. 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), finished fifth (156 votes) for trainer Brad Cox. Wathnan Racing’s 5-year-old Subsanador (ARG), trained by Richard Mandella, came into the rankings after his upset win in the Sept. 28 California Crown (G1), and finished in sixth place (153 votes) in the poll.

Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd.’s 7-year-old Ushba Tesoro (JPN), who was second the Sept. 25 Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi in first start since his second-place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), finished in seventh place with 146 votes. Glassman Racing’s 4-year-old Arthur’s Ride, winner of the Aug. 3 Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, finished eighth (81 votes) for trainer Bill Mott.

Whisper Hill Farm, LLC, and Gainesway Stable’s 4-year-old Tapit Trice, who captured the Sept 28 Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, came in ninth with 65 votes.

SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, and Catherine Donovan’s 4-year-old Newgate, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino (G1), and third in the California Crown, came into the rankings for the first time in 10th place (57 votes) for trainer Bob Baffert.

In the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rated horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.  

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings were determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the

Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. A list of voting members can be found here. 

Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings – Oct. 8, 2024*  

*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.