Maximum Security Rejoins Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings In Seventh Position

Gary and Mary West’s Maximum Security, winner of Saturday’s $1 million TVG.com Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park, has moved back into the Top 10 in the latest Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings poll, grabbing the No. 7 position. The 3-year-old son of New Year’s Day scored a 1 ¼-length win over Mucho Gusto in the Haskell, and survived a stewards’ inquiry in the process. Trained by Jason Servis, Maximum Security (119 votes) posted his fifth win in seven career starts, and was coming off a second-place finish in Monmouth’s Pegasus Stakes on June 16. In his only other career defeat, Maximum Security was disqualified from first in the Kentucky Derby (G1) due to interference.

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s 4-year-old McKinzie (288 votes), bound for Saratoga’s Whitney (G1) on Aug. 3, maintains the No. 1 position in the Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings for the seventh consecutive week, followed by Godolphin’s 5-year-old Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Thunder Snow (IRE) (251 votes).

Centennial Farm’s 6-year-old Preservationist (164 votes), winner of the Suburban (G2) at Belmont Park on July 6, jumps from fifth to third place, followed in fourth by Charles Fipke’s 6-year-old homebred Seeking the Soul (149 votes), winner of the Stephen Foster (G2).

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s 4-year-old Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) winner Vino Rosso (147 votes) drops one position to fifth place, with Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ 4-year-old Catholic Boy (123 votes) remaining in sixth.

Following Maximum Security in seventh are two runners from Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler: the 6-year-old Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Gift Box (90 votes) is in eighth place, followed by Catalina Cruiser (69 votes), winner of Saturday’s San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar.

Gary and Mary West’s Game Winner (67 votes), the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion, who captured the Los Alamitos Derby (G3) on July 13, drops two spots to 10th place this week.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park, Nov. 2, are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings are announced each week through Oct. 15 and can be found on the Breeders’ Cup website along with the list of voting members.

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

Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings Top 10 – July 23, 2019 *

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