Sovereignty leads Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

A dominating performance in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga sees the Godolphin homebred Sovereignty lead the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Ranking for 2026

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings rate the top 10 horses for the $7m Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic which will be run on 31 October at Keeneland in Lexington Kentucky,

Crowned the 2025 Horse of the Year, Sovereignty, the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief who last year won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes earned 392 votes, including 26 first-place votes.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Sovereignty landed his first win this season in the Whitney, following a second-place in the Oaklawn Handicap and a third in the Stephen Foster Stakes.

In finishing first in the 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, Sovereignty was scratch prior to last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club due to a temp spike.

Second with 360 votes, including 13 first-place, is Forever Young the 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic hero and winner of the Saudi Cup for owner Susumu Fujita and trainer Yoshtito Yahagi.

In third place with 272 votes is the Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s campaigned Magnitude, and is winner of the Dubai World Cup and the Stephen Foster for trainer Steve Asmussen.

The Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Golden Tempo is in fourth with 254 votes for trainer Cherie DeVaux in winning the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes with jockey Jose Ortiz.

Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable’s 3yo Renegade is fifth with 197 votes as runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and winning he Arkansas Derby and Jim Dandy Stakes for Todd Pletcher.

Godolphin’s 5yo Knightsbridge, also trained by Bill Mott, is in sixth on winning Monmouth Cup Stakes, while the 4yo filly Nitrogen, who finished second in the Whitney, is seventh for Mark Casse.

Bill Mott’s third runner in the top 10 is the eight placed Baeza, with the Florida Derby winner Commandment in ninth place for Brad Cox and tenth for Centennial Farms 5yo Antiquarian.

In winning the Whitney Stakes, Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup its Sovereignty, Forever Young and Magnitude who have starting positions in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In. Those comparing the best horse racing betting sites will find some of the world’s leading thoroughbreds among the major Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders.

And with the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings also been released for August it’s the Hong Kong sprint sensation Ka Ying Rising and Godolphin’s Ombudsman who leads on 131.

Today Ombudsman is the hot-favourite for the Juddmonte International Stakes, while the recently retired ‘miler’ Bow Echo has improved his rating and sits alone in the third position.

Bowing out of racing with a perfect six-for-six, Bow Echo improved to 127 from 126 in defeating Gstaad 125, in the Sussex Stakes with Opera Ballo 124, and Ten Bob Tony 121, in third and fourth.

In fact, Bow Echo came into the Gr 1 Sussex Stakes having beaten Gstaad in both the St James’s Palace Stakes and the 2000 Guineas Stakes, and with Gstaad taking out the Irish 2000 Guineas.

At Saratoga, Sovereignty raised his rating to 125 from 122, in winning the Whitney Stakes by 4¾ lengths, while at Goodwood Scandinavian rose to 125 from 123, for claiming the Goodwood Cup.

Kalpana 124, was impressed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes when she defeated Calandagan 124, with Benvenuto Cellini 123, in third, while new to the rankings is Item on 122 for winning the York Stakes.