Every two weeks through Oct. 20, 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 2026 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 fourth poll of 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic contenders is led by defending 2025 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young, who garnered 24 first-place votes following his win in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 18 at Belmont Park. Former poll leader Sovereignty dropped to second position with 12 first-place votes.

The rankings will be updated every two weeks. The results of the latest poll are below.

Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings for Sept. 22, 2026

Forever Young. (Jason Moran/Eclipse Sportswire)

1. Forever Young (24 first-place votes)

Owner: Susumo Fujita

Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi

Jockey: Ryusei Sakai

2026 record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 18 at Belmont Park

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Sovereignty. (Gary Johnson/Eclipse Sportswire)

2. Sovereignty (12 first-place votes)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

2026 record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Knightsbridge. (Dan Birch/Eclipse Sportswire.)

3. Knightsbridge (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

2026 record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Pacific Classic Stakes, Aug. 22 at Del Mar

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic or Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Magnitude. (Candice Chavez/Eclipse Sportswire)

4. Magnitude (2 first-place votes)

Owners: Winchell Thoroughbreds

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2026 record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 6^th, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Golden Tempo. (Casey Laughter/Eclipse Sportswire)

5. Golden Tempo 

Owners: Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable

Trainer: Cherie DeVaux

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2026 record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 3 thirds

Last race: 3^rd, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 29 at Saratoga

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Nitrogen. (Casey Laughter/Eclipse Sportswire)

6. Nitrogen

Owner: D J Stable

Trainer: Mark Casse

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2026 record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 2^nd, Whitney Stakes, Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course

Next race: Beldame Stakes, Sept. 25 at Belmont Park

The Puma. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)

7. The Puma

Owners: OGMA Investments, LLC, JR Ranch, High Step Racing, LLC, TCC Stables, LLC and YNG Stables

Trainer: Gustavo Delgado

Jockey: Javier Castellano

2026 record: 7 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, Pennsylvania Derby, Aug. 29 at Parx

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Napoleon Solo. (Sue Kawczynski/Eclipse Sportswire)

8. Napoleon Solo

Owner: ESPOIR USA

Trainer: Chad Summers

Jockey: John Velazquez

2026 record: 5 starts– 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 2^nd, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 29 at Saratoga

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic or Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Renegade. (Justin Manning/Eclipse Sportswire)

9. Renegade 

Owners: Robert Low, Lawana Low, and Repole Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2026 record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Last race: 8^th, DraftKings Travers Stakes, Aug. 29 at Saratoga

Next race: Possibly Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 31 at Keeneland

Baeza. (Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire)

10. Baeza

Owners: C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

2026 record: 4 starts – 0 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds

Last race: 3^rd, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Sept. 18 at Belmont Park

Next race: Possibly Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 31 at Keeneland