Sovereignty On Top In Second Edition Of Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings originally appeared on Paulick Report.

Godolphin’s homebred 3-year-old Sovereignty maintained his lead following the second week of voting in the 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.

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Trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty, winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), totaled 413 votes, which included 24 first-place votes. Defending Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and recent Whitney Stakes (G1) winner Sierra Leone retained second place with 376 votes for owners Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith, and trainer Chad Brown.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC’s homebred 4-year-old Mindframe, undefeated in three starts this year, including the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), jumped over Preakness (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) winner Journalism and into third place with 309 votes for trainer Todd Pletcher. Journalism, 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, is in fourth place with 300 votes.

Baoma Corp’s 4-year-old Nysos, who won the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar, stays in fifth place with 217 votes for trainer Bob Baffert.

Forever Young (JPN), third in last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, and winner of this year’s Saudi Cup (G1) for owner Susumu Fujita and trainer Yoshito Yahagi, moved up one spot to sixth place with 176 votes. Fellow 4-year-old Fierceness, owned by Repole Stable, Derrick Smith, Michael B. Tabor, and Mrs. John Magnier, and trained by Todd Pletcher, dropped to seventh place, with 172 votes.

C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine’s 3-year-old Baeza, third in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes for trainer John Shirreffs, remained in eighth place with 120 votes.

The 5-year-old Highland Falls, runner-up in the Whitney Stakes, is in ninth place with 112 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 59 votes.

Sierra Leone (Whitney), Mindframe (Stephen Foster), Journalism (Haskell), 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.

This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.