Knicks Go Back on Top in BC Classic Rankings

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go  hopped over stablemate Essential Quality  and back into first place 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 Breeders’ Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go has retaken the No. 1 position which Essential Quality had held for the past three weeks. The Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and Whitney Stakes (G1) winner received 322 votes, 18 of which were first-place votes. Knicks Go is scheduled to make his final start before the Breeders' Cup Classic in the Oct. 2 Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Godolphin’s 3-year-old Essential Quality, also trained by Cox, won the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). He is now in second place with 316 votes.

Hot Rod Charlie , another top 3-year-old, moves into third place this week following his impressive victory in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing. Owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, and trained by Doug O’Neill, Hot Rod Charlie has 252 votes.

Godolphin’s 4-year-old Maxfield , trained by Brendan Walsh, dropped one position to fourth place with 238 votes. Maxfield has won three races this year, including the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in June, in which he secured an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic.

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.'s Max Player , a winner of two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races in the Classic division in 2021, remains in fifth place with 180 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the 4-year-old Max Player won both the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in July and the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga Race Course earlier this month. 

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings—Sept. 28, 2021*

*Note: The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders' Cup Classic.