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Fierceness Tops Final Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, City of Troy, Forever Young Garner Support
Racing
Each week a panel of media members, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup World Championships officials release a poll tabulating their votes ranking the top contenders for the 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. The results are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention and are determined by each voter ranking their top 10 horses with points assigned on a descending 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Week 11 of the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic rankings is led by DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Fierceness, who has topped the rankings poll since Week Five.
This is the final week of rankings leading up to the race. The $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at 1 1/4 miles on the main track at Del Mar on Saturday, Nov. 2 and is limited to 14 starters. The race will be telecast live on NBC. The results of the final poll are below.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings for Oct. 8, 2024

1. Fierceness (17 first-place votes)
Owner: Repole Stable
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
2024 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third
Last race: 1st, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar
2. City of Troy (7 first-place votes)
Owners: Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Jockey: Ryan Moore
2024 record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Juddmonte International Stakes, Aug. 21 at York Racecourse
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

3. Forever Young (7 first-place votes)
Owner: Susumo Fujita
Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi
Jockey: Ryusei Sakai
2024 record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third
Last race: 1st, Japan Dirt Classic (Derby), Oct. 2 at Ohi Tokyo Racecourse
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar
4. Sierra Leone
Owners: Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brooke Smith
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
2024 record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds
Last race: 3rd, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar
5. Highland Falls (1 first-place vote)
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat
2024 record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 1 at Saratoga Race Course
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

6. Subsanador
Owner: Wathnan Racing
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Jockey: Mike Smith
2024 record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, California Crown Stakes Presented by SirDavis American Whisky, Sept. 28 at at Santa Anita Park
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

7. Ushba Tesoro (1 first-place vote)
Owner: Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd.
Trainer: Noboru Takagi
Jockey: Yuga Kawada
2024 record: 3 starts – 0 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 2nd, Nippon TV Hai, Sept. 25 at at Funabashi Race Track
Next race: TBD, possibly Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar
Owner: Glassman Racing
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
2024 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 5th, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 1 at Saratoga Race Course
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

9. Tapit Trice
Owners: Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Dylan Davis
2024 record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Woodward Stakes, Sept. 28 at at Belmont at the Big A
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

10. Newgate
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: John Velazquez
2024 record: 5 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 1 third
Last race: 3rd, California Crown Stakes Presented by SirDavis American Whisky, Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park
Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar
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