Fierceness moves to the top of Breeders' Cup Classic rankings

Fresh off his dramatic victory in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, Fierceness jumped to the no. 1 position in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, replacing Dornoch, who led the rankings for the first four weeks.

Fierceness, winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the champion 2-year-old male of 2023 for trainer Todd Pletcher, held off the fast-closing filly Thorpedo Anna to prevail by a head in the Travers and subsequently jumped from fourth place to first in this week’s poll.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Arthur’s Ride remained at No. 2 with 277 votes. The 4-year-old Florida-bred son of Tapit won the Aug. 3 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga for trainer Bill Mott and earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

City of Troy rose from eighth place to third with 263 votes following his front-running triumph in the Aug. 21 Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York, in which he gained an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the son of Justify is one of four internationally based runners in this week’s top 10.

Forever Young, winner of the UAE Derby (G2) and third in the Kentucky Derby (G1), was in fourth place with 214 votes for owner and trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

Sierra Leone, who finished third in the Travers, moved up one spot to fifth in the rankings with 169 votes. Dornoch, who was fourth in the Travers, dropped from first to sixth this week for trainer Danny Gargan.

The 6-year-old Saudi Cup (G1) winner Señor Buscador dropped from fifth place to seventh with 122 votes for trainer Todd Fincher.

The 4-year-old National Treasure, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), was in eighth place with 118 votes for trainer Bob Baffert.

Seven-year-old Ushba Tesoro, second in the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup (G1), remained in ninth place with 114 votes for trainer Noboru Takagi.

Four-year-old Derma Sotogake, who finished second in last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Thorpedo Anna are tied for 10th place with 97 votes apiece.

In the Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

The rankings are determined by a panel of Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders’ Cup racing directors-secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 8.