Lintner: Where's Gift Box belong in Breeders' Cup Classic picture?

The most difficult decision when voting in this week’s Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings came with finding the right spot for Gift Box, the beaten Stephen Foster (G2) favorite last Saturday at Churchill Downs.

He ran evenly when finishing fourth in a race won by Seeking the Soul, who automatically qualified for the Classic and, assuming good health, will remain in my Top 10 until race day.

Gift Box’s performance under normal circumstances might have resulted in drop off the list. But there’s more to consider in this case.

1. Under jockey Joel Rosario, Gift Box ran wide throughout, then attempted to close in the stretch from the six path.

So that’s what took away from his usual late kick.

2. Still new to trainer John Sadler’s barn, Gift Box won the San Antonio Sakes (G2) off a layoff, had three more months before winning the Big ‘Cap (G1), then seven weeks before a runner-up in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1). This time, he wheeled back in fewer than three weeks.

This veteran could use more time between starts.

3. As was well documented leading up to the Breeders’ Cup, Sadler’s record isn’t exactly sparkling at Churchill Downs.

Well, the Breeders’ Cup Classic runs in his back yard at Santa Anita Park.

Gift Box dropped from third to eighth in my Top 10. I expected harsher treatment in the consensus rankings, where he stuck at sixth. We’ll see how Gift Box rebounds later this summer, likely in Del Mar’s Pacific Classic (G1), but the thinking here is Sadler learned plenty from the Foster and still has a contender for the year-end Classic.

In other changes this week, McKinzie moved to second from fourth on my ballot. I still wonder if he’s a better fit for the Dirt Mile, but as time passes, his consistency appears more admirable, no matter the distance. The Bob Baffert trainee also remains young enough to continue improving.

Along with Seeking the Soul, Quip, the Foster runner-up, entered my Top 10 this week. He ran near the pace and stuck around for a hard-fought runner-up finish. That’s another horse new to the older ranks, and trainer Rodolphe Brisset says “he’s not the same horse as we had last year.”

To make room for the newcomers, Catalina Cruiser, who has only run around one turn this season, and Tenfold, who didn’t show up in the Foster, dropped.

We’ll do it again next week…