Forever Young moved to the top of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings after his victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on Sept. 18. The 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner collected 364 votes, including 24 first-place votes, to take the leading position in the latest rankings released on Sept. 22.
Owned by Susumu Fujita and trained by Yoshito Yahagi, Forever Young moved ahead of Sovereignty following his latest success. He held a nine-vote advantage over the previous leader as the leading contenders were assessed for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic was scheduled for Oct. 31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, as part of the 43rd edition of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The race was scheduled to cover 1 1/4 miles on the main track and was limited to a maximum field of 14 starters.
Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings See Forever Young Lead
Sovereignty dropped to second place with 355 votes, including 12 first-place votes. Owned by Godolphin LLC and trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty had previously occupied the top position. The horse had won the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Whitney Stakes (G1), keeping him among the leading names in the latest rankings.
Godolphin’s Knightsbridge remained third with 296 votes. Trained by Mott, Knightsbridge had won the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) and remained inside the top three. Mott had three runners among the 10 highest-ranked horses.
Magnitude held fourth place with 270 votes. Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and trained by Steve Asmussen, Magnitude had won the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1). Those victories kept him firmly placed among the leading contenders for the Keeneland feature.
Golden Tempo stayed fifth with 245 votes. Owned by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable and trained by Cherie DeVaux, the runner had won both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes (G1). He remained inside the top five in the latest standings.
Nitrogen moved up two places to sixth with 129 votes. The four-year-old filly was owned by D.J. Stable LLC and trained by Mark Casse. She had finished second in the Whitney Stakes and improved her position in the latest rankings.
The Puma entered the top 10 in seventh place with 103 votes following his victory in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1). Owned by OGMA Investments LLC, High Step Racing, TCC Stables LLC, YNG Stables LLC and JR Ranch, the horse was trained by Gustavo Delgado.
Napoleon Solo occupied eighth place with 102 votes. Owned by Espoir USA Inc. and trained by Chad Summers, he had won the Preakness Stakes (G1) before finishing second in the Travers Stakes (G1).
Renegade remained ninth with 95 votes. Owned by Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, Renegade had finished second in the Kentucky Derby before winning the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2).
Baeza completed the top 10 with 40 votes. Owned by CRK Stable LLC and Grandview Equine and trained by Mott, Baeza had finished third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup behind Forever Young at Belmont Park.
Four horses from the latest rankings had already earned automatic starting positions for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In. Sovereignty qualified through the Whitney Stakes, while Forever Young earned automatic positions through the Saudi Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Magnitude qualified through the Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster Stakes, while Knightsbridge secured his position through the Pacific Classic. These qualifications gave the four horses automatic starting positions for the Keeneland contest.
The rankings were determined by a panel consisting of leading Thoroughbred racing media representatives, horseplayers and members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Each voter rated the horses using a descending 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system.
The next Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings were scheduled for publication on Sept. 29, with the final rankings due on Oct. 6. The rankings did not have any bearing on qualification or selection for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The 2026 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic was scheduled to be run over 1 1/4 miles on the main track at Keeneland Race Course, with a maximum field of 14 starters. The race was also scheduled to be broadcast live on NBC.
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