Each week a panel of media members, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup World Championships officials release a poll tabulating their votes ranking the top contenders for the 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. The results are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention and are determined by each voter ranking their top 10 horses with points assigned on a descending 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

Week 11 of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings is led by DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Fierceness, who has topped the rankings poll since Week Five.

This is the final week of rankings leading up to the race. The $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic will be run at 1 1/4 miles on the main track at Del Mar on Saturday, Nov. 2 and is limited to 14 starters. The race will be telecast live on NBC. The results of the final poll are below.

Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings for Oct. 8, 2024

1. Fierceness (17 first-place votes)

Owner: Repole Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

2024 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

2. City of Troy  (7 first-place votes)

Owners: Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Jockey: Ryan Moore

2024 record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Juddmonte International Stakes, Aug. 21 at York Racecourse

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

3. Forever Young (7 first-place votes)

Owner: Susumo Fujita

Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi

Jockey: Ryusei Sakai

2024 record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, Japan Dirt Classic (Derby), Oct. 2 at Ohi Tokyo Racecourse

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

4. Sierra Leone

Owners: Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brooke Smith

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Flavien Prat 

2024 record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds

Last race: 3^rd, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

5. Highland Falls (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Flavien Prat

2024 record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 1 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

6. Subsanador 

Owner: Wathnan Racing

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Jockey: Mike Smith

2024 record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, California Crown Stakes Presented by SirDavis American Whisky, Sept. 28 at at Santa Anita Park

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

7. Ushba Tesoro (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd.

Trainer: Noboru Takagi

Jockey: Yuga Kawada

2024 record: 3 starts – 0 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 2^nd, Nippon TV Hai, Sept. 25 at at Funabashi Race Track

Next race: TBD, possibly Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

8. Arthur’s Ride 

Owner: Glassman Racing

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

2024 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race:  5^th, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 1 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

9. Tapit Trice

Owners: Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Dylan Davis

2024 record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Woodward Stakes, Sept. 28 at at Belmont at the Big A

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

10. Newgate

Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherin Donovan

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: John Velazquez

2024 record: 5 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 3^rd, California Crown Stakes Presented by SirDavis American Whisky, Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 2 at Del Mar

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