Sovereignty, Sierra Leone Top First 2025 Poll of Breeders' Cup Classic Contenders

Racing
Sovereignty, Sierra Leone, Journalism, 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic
Sovereignty defeated Journalism in the Belmont Stakes, and now the rivals are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 contenders to win the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic. (Carlos J. Calo/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 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. The rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention and 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 first week of the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic rankings are led by top 3-year-old Sovereignty and top older horse Sierra Leone.

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


Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings for Aug. 5, 2025

Sovereignty. (Eclipse Sportswire)

1. Sovereignty (22 first-place votes)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

2025 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 1st, Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun, July 26 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 23 at Saratoga Race Course


Sierra Leone. (Eclipse Sportswire)

2. Sierra Leone (15 first-place votes)

Owners: Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brooke Smith

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Flavien Prat

2025 record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third

Last race: 1st, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 2 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Aug. 31 at Saratoga Race Course


Journalism. (Eclipse Sportswire)

3. Journalism (1 first-place vote)

Owners: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, LaPenta, Robert V., Elayne Stables 5, Magnier, Mrs. John, Tabor, Michael B. and Smith, Derrick

Trainer: Michael McCarthy

Jockey: Umberto Rispoli

2025 record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1st, NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, July 19 at Monmouth Park

Next race: TBD, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 23 at Saratoga Race Course or FanDuel Pacific Classic Stakes, Aug. 30 at Del Mar


Mindframe. (Eclipse Sportswire)

4. Mindframe (2 first-place votes)

Owners: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2025 record: 3 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1st, Stephen Foster Stakes, June 28 at Churchill Downs

Next race: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Aug. 31 at Saratoga Race Course


Nysos. (Eclipse Sportswire)

5. Nysos (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Baoma Corporation

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Flavien Prat

2025 record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 1st, San Diego Handicap, July 26 at Del Mar

Next race: FanDuel Pacific Classic Stakes, Aug. 30 at Del Mar


Fierceness. (Eclipse Sportswire)

6. Fierceness

Owner: Repole Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

2025 record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds

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

Next race: TBD, Woodward Stakes, Sept. 27 at Belmont at the Big A or Lukas Classic Stakes, Sept. 27 at Churchill Downs


Forever Young. (Eclipse Sportswire)

7. Forever Young (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Susumo Fujita

Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi

Jockey: Ryusei Sakai

2025 record: 2 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 3rd, Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline, April 5 at Meydan Racecourse

Next race: TBD, possibly the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Nov. 1 at Del Mar


Baeza. (Eclipse Sportswire)

8. Baeza

Owners: C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Jockey: Hector Isaac Berrios

2025 record: 6 starts – 1 win – 3 seconds – 2 thirds

Last race: 2nd, Jim Dandy Stakes presented by Mohegan Sun, July 26 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: FanDuel Pacific Classic Stakes, Aug. 30 at Del Mar


Highland Falls. (Eclipse Sportswire)

9. Highland Falls

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Luis Saez

2025 record: 2 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds

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

Next race: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Aug. 31 at Saratoga Race Course


White Abarrio. (Eclipse Sportswire)

10. White Abarrio

Owners: C2 Racing Stable, Barber, Gary and La Milagrosa Stable

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2025 record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 4th, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 2 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: FanDuel Pacific Classic Stakes, Aug. 30 at Del Mar


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