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 2021 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Essential Quality moved ahead of stablemate Knicks Go to secure the number one spot after 11 weeks of the  Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

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 poll launched on June 29 and the final poll results for the current week are below.

Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings for Sept. 8

Amira Chichakly/NYRA Photo

1. Essential Quality (7 first-place votes)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Luis Saez

2021 stats: 6 starts – 5 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Runhappy Travers Stakes, Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: TBD

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo

2. Knicks Go (15 first-place votes)

Owner: Korea Racing Authority

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Joel Rosario

2021 stats: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 7 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Lukas Classic, Oct. 2 at Churchill Downs

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

3. Maxfield (4 first-place votes)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Brendan Walsh

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2021 stats: 5 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Last race: 2^nd, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 7 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: TBD

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

4. Hot Rod Charlie  (1 first-place vote)

Owners: Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing and William Strauss

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

Jockey: Flavien Prat

2021 stats: 5 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 2 thirds

Last race: Finished 1^st, disqualified to 7^th in TVG.com Haskell Stakes, July 17 at Monmouth Park

Next race: Pennsylvania Derby, Sept. 25 at Parx Racing

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo

5. Max Player (1 first-place vote)

Owners: George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.

2021 stats: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 4 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 6. at Del Mar

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

6. Tripoli

Owner: Hronis Racing

Trainer: John Sadler

Jockey: Tiago Pereira

2021 stats: 6 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, TVG Pacific Classic, Aug. 21 at Del Mar

Next race: TBD

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Coady Photography

7. Letruska

Owner: St. George Stable

Trainer: Fausto Gutierrez

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2021 stats: 6 starts – 5 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Personal Ensign Stakes, Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, Oct. 10 at Keeneland Race Course

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

8. Midnight Bourbon

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds

Trainer: Steve Asmussen 

Jockey: Ricardo Santana, Jr.

2021 stats: 7 starts – 1 win – 3 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 2^nd, Runhappy Travers Stakes, Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: TBD

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Coady Photography

9. Mishriff (3 first-place votes)

Owner: Prince A. A. Faisal

Trainers: John and Thady Gosden

Jockey: David Egan

2021 stats: 5 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, Juddmonte International Stakes, Aug. 18 at York Racecourse

Next race: TBD

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

10. Medina Spirit

Owners: Zedan Racing Stables

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: John Velazquez

2021 stats: 7 starts – 3 wins – 3 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, Shared Belief Stakes, Aug. 29 at Del Mar

Next race: TBD, possibly the Pennsylvania Derby, Sept. 25 at Parx Racing or the Awesome Again Stakes, Oct. 2 at Santa Anita Park

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.