Sovereignty Leads First Edition Of Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings
Benefitting from dominant wins in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), Godolphin's homebred Sovereignty leads the first week of tabulated votes for the 2025 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings.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. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., during the 42nd Breeders' Cup World Championships.Sovereignty, a 3-year-old son of Into Mischief, earned 383 votes. The Bill Mott trainee has won four of five starts this year, including his most recent victory in the July 26 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course.
Defending Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone is in second place with 365 votes. Owned by Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith, and trained by Chad Brown, Sierra Leone won Saturday's Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.Sierra Leone is followed in third place by 3-year-old Journalism, winner of the Preakness Stakes (G1) and the Haskell Stakes (G1). Trained by Michael McCarthy for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith, Journalism earned 289 votes.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC's homebred 4-year-old Mindframe, undefeated in three starts this year, including the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) and the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), is in fourth place with 286 votes for trainer Todd Pletcher.Baoma Corp's 4-year-old Nysos, recent winner of the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, is in fifth place with 197 votes for trainer Bob Baffert.Repole Stable, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier's 4-year-old Fierceness, runner-up in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic and fifth in Saturday's Whitney, is in sixth place. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Fierceness accumulated 186 votes.
Forever Young, third in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, and winner of this year's Saudi Cup (G1), is in seventh place with 143 votes for owner Susumu Fujita and trainer Yoshito Yahagi.C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine's 3-year-old Baeza is in eighth place with 109 votes. Third in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes, Baeza is trained by John Shirreffs.The 5-year-old Highland Falls, runner-up in the Whitney Stakes, is in ninth place with 107 votes for owner/breeder Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox.
Completing the top 10 is C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber, and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's 6-year-old White Abarrio, who won the 2023 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Winner of this year's Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), and fourth in the Whitney for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., White Abarrio earned 64 votes.Journalism (Haskell), Mindframe (Stephen Foster), Sierra Leone (Whitney), and Forever Young (Saudi Cup) have each earned automatic starting positions and fees paid into this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.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. 7. 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.Note – The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders' Cup Classic.The 2025 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.
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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