Slow Down Andy, Zandon join top 10 in BC Classic rankings
Grade 2 Woodward Stakes winner Zandon and Awesome Again Stakes (G1) winner Slow Down Andy surged into the top 10 in the latest Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings, and Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Arcangelo maintains the overall lead after the 12th week of voting.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
Four-year-old Zandon, trained by Chad Brown, powered to a 4 1/2-length score in the 1 1/8-mile Woodward at Aqueduct on Sunday as the even-money favorite. Zandon improved his ranking from 11th place to sixth, registering 115 votes. The day before at Santa Anita, Slow Down Andy also was impressive, scoring a gate-to-wire triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again and earning an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Trained by Doug O’Neill, the 4-year-old earned 113 votes, rising from 13th place to seventh this week with 111 votes.
The top five positions in the rankings remained unchanged, with a trio of 3-year-olds holding the top three positions. Arcangelo leads the poll for the sixth consecutive week with 279 votes, followed by Geaux Rocket Ride in second with 279 votes, and Pacific Classic (G1) winner Arabian Knight in third with 259 votes.
White Abarrio, who won Saratoga’s Whitney Stakes (G1), is fourth with 247 votes. Forte ranks fifth with 123 votes. Following Zandon and Slow Down Andy is 4-year-old Bright Future, winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), who is eighth with 107 votes.
Rounding out this week’s voting are two runners tied for ninth place with 105 votes each: 3-year-old Saudi Crown, who won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), and 5-year-old Proxy, runner-up in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders’ Cup racing directors-secretaries panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 10. A list of voting members is available here.
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.
Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings, Oct. 3
| Rank | Horse | Votes | 1st-place votes | Previous week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arcangelo | 352 | 27 | 1 |
| 2 | Geaux Rocket Ride | 279 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Arabian Knight | 259 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | White Abarrio | 257 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Forte | 123 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Zandon | 115 | 0 | 11 |
| 7 | Slow Down Andy | 111 | 0 | 13 |
| 8 | Bright Future | 107 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | Proxy | 105 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | Saudi Crown | 105 | 0 | 8 |