Forte is still no. 1; newcomer joins Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings

Forte held onto the no. 1 position for the second straight week in the Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings, in which the first five spots in the poll remained the same.

The recent winner of the Jim Dandy (G2) for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable and for trainer Todd Pletcher, Forte received 294 points, including 19 first-place votes.

DeRosa has new no. 1 in Breeders’ Cup Classic fair odds.

Four-year-old White Abarrio, dominant winner of the Whitney Stakes (G1), was in second place with 226 points. Geaux Rocket Ride, winner of the Haskell Stakes (G1), was third with 222. Mage, who won the Kentucky Derby, was fourth with 211, and Arcangelo, the Belmont Stakes winner, was fifth with 193.

Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1) winner Defunded was sixth with 109 points. Rattle N Roll, runner-up in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), was seventh with 106. Zandon, who finished second in the Whitney, ranked eighth with 71. Art Collector, who won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), was ninth with 66.

Proxy, winner of the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and the July 22 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3), joined the top 10 for the first time with 56 points. Cody’s Wish, who had been no. 6, dropped out.

The rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. They are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders’ Cup racing directors and secretaries panel.

Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 10. Each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order. The rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.