Maxfield Holds Top Spot in BC Classic Rankings

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield  has retained the No. 1 position in the latest Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). This year's Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Maxfield, a winner of three races this year, including the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, has 27 first-place votes and 335 total votes. Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Essential Quality , also owned by Godolphin, remained in second place with 314 votes. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality, last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) winner, is expected to start in the July 31 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course. Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss' Hot Rod Charlie  is in third place with 242 votes. Juddmonte's Mandaloun  is in fourth place with 194 votes. Also trained by Cox, Mandaloun finished a nose behind Hot Rod Charlie in the July 17 TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, but was declared the race winner following the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie for interference in the stretch.  

A third Cox-trained runner in the top 10 is Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go . Winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January and the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) on July 2, Knicks Go is in fifth place with 167 votes. Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State  is in sixth place with 143 votes. Silver State, trained by Steve Asmussen, is unbeaten in four starts this year, which includes victories in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska  rose from eighth to seventh place this week with 113 votes. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has won four of five starts this year, including a 5 3/4-length victory in the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 26. 

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – July 27, 2021*

*Note: The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders' Cup Classic. The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 1/4 miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.