Maxfield Tops Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings

For the sixth consecutive week, Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield  is the No. 1 rated horse in the 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 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, received 22 first-place votes and 280 total votes. Maxfield earned an automatic berth into this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs June 26. Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality , last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner, remained in second place with 273 votes. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality won Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course by a half-length over Keepmeinmind. The victory was Essential Quality's fourth in five starts this year and was his first start since winning the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1) June 5. Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss's 3-year-old Hot Rod Charlie , trained by Doug O'Neill, is in third place with 225 votes. 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) July 2, moved up one spot to fourth place with 163 votes. Also trained by Cox, Knicks Go is expected to face Maxfield and Silver State  in the Aug. 7 Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, which is a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Juddmonte's 3-year-old Mandaloun  drops one spot to fifth place with 161 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.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – August 3, 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.