Sierra Leone cracks world racehorse rankings after Whitney win

U.S.-based runners Sovereignty and White Abarrio remained among the top horses in the new world's best racehorse rankings, while Sierra Leone vaulted onto the list by virtue of his victory in the Whitney Stakes (G1) on Aug. 2 at Saratoga.

The sixth edition of the rankings, published on Thursday by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and covering races through Aug. 10, showed a three-way tie for the lead with 127 points between European turf runners Field of Gold and Ombudsman and Japan-based runner Forever Young, who has raced exclusively on dirt.

Sovereignty, winner of the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy in his last three starts for trainer Bill Mott and owner Godolphin, was tied for seventh on the updated list with three other runners with 125 points, while the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained White Abarrio was alone at 11th with 124 points.

Sierra Leone, who was unranked in the previous rankings released July 6, returned to the list following his one-length victory in the Whitney Stakes (G1). Last year’s champion 3-year-old male in the United States, who had finished second to Mindframe in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) on July 28, was shown in an 18-way tie for the 20th spot on the list, which included fellow U.S.-based runners Journalism, Mindframe and Raging Torrent. All were listed with 120 points. 

The only other U.S.-based runner listed in the rankings was Locked, who was tied for 12th with 123 points.