Taiba rises in Breeders' Cup Classic poll after Pa. Derby win

Zedan Racing Stable, Inc.’s 3-year-old Taiba, sparkling winner of last Saturday’s Pennsylvania Derby (G1), jumped from 10th place to fifth in the latest Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, while undefeated Flightline maintained the overall lead for the 14th consecutive week.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings is a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 5.

Flightline, owned by Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, LLC, earned 340 votes to maintain the top spot. Trained by John Sadler, Flightline has won both the Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) this year, and is slated to make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Following Flightline in second place is CHC Inc. and WinStar Farms LLC’s Life Is Good, with 281 votes. The 4-year-old Life Is Good, winner of the Whitney Stakes (G1), is expected to start in Saturday’s Woodward Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct. Winchell Thoroughbreds’ 3-year-old Epicenter, winner of the Travers Stakes (G1) for trainer Steve Asmussen, is in third place with 266 votes. Olympiad, owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable LLC, and LNJ Foxwoods, retains fourth place with 214 votes. Olympiad, trained by Bill Mott, has won five of six races this year, including Saratoga’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

Taiba, trained by Bob Baffert, won the Pennsylvania Derby by 3 lengths for his second Grade 1 win of the year. The 3-year-old son of 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Gunner Runner, takes over fifth place with 199 votes.

Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC, WinStar Farm LLC, and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.’s Country Grammer, also trained by Baffert, is now in sixth place with 167 votes. Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, is in seventh place with 118 votes. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Hot Rod Charlie finished second in the Dubai World Cup and was third in the Whitney.

Wertheimer and Frere’s 5-year-old Happy Saver, runner-up in the Whitney, is in eighth place with 69 votes. Gold Square LLC’s 3-year-old Cyberknife, third in the Pennsylvania Derby, drops from seventh place to ninth with 54 votes.

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC’s 4-year-old Americanrevolution, second to Olympiad in The Jockey Club Gold Cup, is in 10th place with 48 votes.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel consisting of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel.

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.