Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s 4-year-old McKinzie (250 votes) has retained the No. 1 position following the third week of voting in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings. McKinzie, trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, is followed in second place by Godolphin’s 5-year-old Thunder Snow (IRE) (234 votes), the two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup (G1).
Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ 4-year-old Dixie Stakes (G2) winner Catholic Boy (157 votes) has risen from fourth to third place this week. Improving from fifth to fourth place in the Rankings is Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s 4-year-old Vino Rosso (151 votes), who captured the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) on May 27.
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, November 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 October 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.
Dropping two positions is Charles Fipke’s 6-year-old homebred Seeking the Soul (146 votes), winner of the Stephen Foster (G2), who is followed by Hronis Racing’s 6-year-old Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Gift Box (101 votes) in sixth place.
Fox Hill Farms’ 3-year-old Omaha Beach (80 votes), winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1) and the morning line favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1) before being scratched, retained the seventh spot followed by Salomon Del Valle’s 5-year-old Gunnevera (64 votes) in eighth.
Juddmonte Farms’ 3-year-old Tacitus (62 votes), second in the Belmont Stakes (G1), moved back into the top 10 this week, securing the No. 9 spot. Tacitus is followed by Gary and Mary West’s 3-year-old Florida Derby (G1) winner Maximum Security (55 votes) in 10th.
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