Breeders Cup Classic Rankings | Dornoch Among Early Leaders

Aaron debuts his rankings for the 2024 Breeders Cup Classic division heading into the “Win & You’re In” Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

The Belmont Stakes (G1) champion Dornoch sits tied with the Met Mile (G1) winner National Treasure atop the official voting poll, but which horse earned more 1st place votes?

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The Breeders Cup Classic voting press release:

Belmont Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch and Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure are tied atop the first week of tabulated votes for the 2024 Longines Breeders Cup Classic Rankings, which includes three horses based in Japan.

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. 2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.

There were 284 votes each awarded to the 3-year-old Dornoch, trained by Danny Gargan and owned in partnership by West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Jayson Werth’s Two Eight Racing, LLC, and Pine Racing Stables, and the 4-year-old National Treasure, trained by Bob Baffert and owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan.

National Treasure is entered in Saturday’s Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, with the race winner gaining an automatic starting position in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.

Repole Stable’s 3-year-old Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, is in third place with 211 votes, following his 1-length victory over Sierra Leone in last Saturday’s Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun (G2) at Saratoga.

Susumu Fugita’s Forever Young (JPN), winner of the UAE Derby sponsored by Atlantis the Royal (G2) and third in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), is in fourth place with 200 votes for trainer Yoshito Yahagi. Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC, and Peter Brant’s Sierra Leone, second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes for trainer Chad Brown, is in fifth place with 171 votes.

Spendthrift Farm LLC’s 4-year-old Kingsbarns is in sixth place with 143 votes. Also trained by Pletcher, Kingsbarns secured an automatic start into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic when he won the June 29 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old Senor Buscador, who won the Saudi Cup (G1) for trainer Todd Fincher, is in seventh place with 132 votes.

Horses based overseas complete places eight through 10 in the Rankings, beginning with Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s 3-year-old City of Troy, who is in eighth place with 128 votes. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the Kentucky-bred son of Justify won the Betfred (English) Derby (G1) at Epsom and the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown (G1) against older horses this year.

Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd.’s 7-year-old Ushba Tesoro (JPN), second in the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup (G1) sponsored by Emirates Airlines (G1), is in ninth place with 126 votes for trainer Noboru Takagi. Hiroyuki Asanuma’s 4-year-old Derma Sotagake (JPN), who finished second in last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, is in 10th place with 94 votes for trainer Hidetaka Otonashi.

See the full voting results here: https://breederscup.com/news/2024/dornoch-and-national-treasure-lead-first-week-of-longines-breeders-cup-classic-rankings