The quiet confidence of Godolphin’s 3-year-old Sovereignty was on full display this week, even without the roar of a crowd or the flash of cameras. The Belmont Stakes winner remains firmly atop the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, his dominance unchallenged as the latest poll shows no change in the standings.
Trainer Charlie Appleby smiled softly when asked about the horse’s position, recalling how Sovereignty seemed to soak in the admiration after his Travers Stakes triumph. “He’s a remarkable horse,” Appleby said. “He just gets better with every step.” The panel of leading racing media, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries continues to recognize that talent.
Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes champion, collected 422 votes this week, including 37 first-place nods. Hot on his heels is Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness, winner of the Pacific Classic (G1), who garnered 365 votes for owners Repole Stable, Derrick Smith, Michael B. Tabor, and Mrs. John Magnier.
Third place is held by Sierra Leone, last year’s Classic champion, with 332 votes for trainer Chad Brown and owners Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith. Rounding out the top five are Mindframe (Stephen Foster Stakes winner) and Journalism (Preakness and Haskell Stakes victories), with 280 and 238 votes, respectively.
Other notable contenders include Forever Young (JPN), winner of the Saudi Cup (G1), Antiquarian, victor of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), and Nysos, who triumphed in the San Diego Handicap (G2). Baeza, entered in Saturday’s Pennsylvania Derby, and Highland Falls, runner-up in the Whitney Stakes (G1), complete the top 10.
Several of these horses, including Fierceness, Sierra Leone, Mindframe, Journalism, Forever Young, and Antiquarian, have already secured automatic berths into the Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” races. The final automatic spot will be determined in the Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 27.
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, offering a $7 million purse and run over 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 1, will showcase the best of international racing talent. Though the rankings do not directly determine qualification, they provide a weekly snapshot of the sport’s most in-form contenders as the countdown to the 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships continues.
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