Arabian Knight and Bright Future Break Into Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings Top 10 List

Racing
2023 Longines Breeders Cup Classic, Pacific Classic, Arcangelo, Arabian Knight
Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride, who finished 1-2 in the Pacific Classic Sept. 2 at Del Mar, are highly-ranked Breeders Cup Classic contenders.r (Eclipse Sportswire)

Each week a panel of media members, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup World Championships officials release a poll tabulating their votes on the nation's top contenders for the 2023 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.  The leader in the rankings is Travers Stakes winner Arcangelo.  Arabian Knight, the winner of the FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar, and Bright Future, the winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, both break into the rankings for the first time this week at Nos. 3 and 7.

The rankings 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. The rankings will be updated each week through Oct. 10. The results of the latest poll are below.


Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings for Sept. 5


Arcangelo. (Joe Labozzetta/NYRA)

1. Arcangelo (14 first-place votes)

Owners: Blue Rose Farm

Trainer: Jena Antonucci

Jockey: Javier Castellano

2023 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1st, Travers Stakes, Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: TBD


Geaux Rocket Ride. (EQUI-PHOTO)

2. Geaux Rocket Ride (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Pin Oak Stud

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Jockey: Mike Smith

2023 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 2nd, FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes, Sept. 2 at Del Mar

Next race:  TBD


Arabian Knight. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire)

3. Arabian Knight (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Zedan Racing Stables

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Flavien Prat

2023 record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third 

Last race: 1st, FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes, Sept. 2 at Del Mar

Next race: TBD


White Abarrio. (Liz Lamont/Eclipse Sportswire)

4. White Abarrio (1 first-place vote)

Owners: C Two Racing Stable amd Antono Pagnano

Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2023 record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1st, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race:  Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park, or Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park


Forte. (Liz Lamont/Eclipse Sportswire)

5. Forte (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2023 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 1 seconds– 0 thirds

Last race: 4th, Travers Stakes, Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: TBD


Proxy. (Sue Kawczynski/Eclipse Sportswire)

6. Proxy

Owners: Godolphin

Trainer: Michael Stidham

Jockey: Joel Rosario

2023 record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 2nd, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept 2 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race:  Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park


Bright Future. (Gary Johnson/Eclipse Sportswire)

7. Bright Future

Owners:  Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey:  Javier Castellano

2023 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1st, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept 2 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park


Zandon. (Candice Chavez/Eclipse Sportswire)

8. Zandon

Owners: Jeff Drown

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2023 record: 3 starts – 0 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 2nd, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: TBD


Mage. (Jessica Morgan/Eclipse Sportswire)

9. Mage

Owners: OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, CMNWLTH

Trainer: Gustavo Delgado

Jockey: Luis Saez

2023 record: 7 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 7th, Travers Stakes, Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: TBD


Ushba Tesoro. (Kaz Ishida/Eclipse Sportswire)

10. Ushba Tesoro (2 first-place votes)

Owners: Kenji Royotokuji Holdings

Trainer: Noboru Takagi

Jockey: Yuga Kawada

2023 record: 2 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1st, Dubai World Cup, March 25 at Meydan Racecourse

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park


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