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 retook the top spot over Knicks Go in week 15 of the  Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, a poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Medina Spirit (fourth) moved up in the rankings and Art Collector (sixth) joined the top 10 after emphatic wins in stakes races on Oct. 2.

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 Oct. 6

Eclipse Sportswire

1. Essential Quality (14 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: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nov. 6. at Del Mar

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Coady Photography

2. Knicks Go (16 first-place votes)

Owner: Korea Racing Authority

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Joel Rosario

2021 stats: 6 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Lukas Classic Stakes, Oct. 2 at Churchill Downs

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

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

3. 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: 6 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Pennsylvania Derby, Sept. 25 at Parx Racing

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

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

BENOIT photo

4. Medina Spirit (1 first-place vote)

Owners: Zedan Racing Stables

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: John Velazquez

2021 stats:  8 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1^st, Awesome Again Stakes, Oct. 2 at Santa Anita Park

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

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

5. Maxfield (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Brendan Walsh

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2021 stats: 6 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 2^nd, Woodward Stakes, Oct. 2 at Belmont Park

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

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo

6. Art Collector (1 first-place vote)

Owner: Bruce Lunsford

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Luis Saez

2021 stats: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1^st, Woodward Stakes, Oct. 2 at Belmont Park

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

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

7. Max Player 

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.

Coady Photography

8. 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

9. Mishriff (2 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: QIPCO Champion Stakes, Oct. 16 at Ascot Racecourse

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

10. Dr Post (tie)

Owners: St. Elias Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

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

Last race: 3^rd, Woodward Stakes, Oct. 2 at Belmont Park

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

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

10. Tripoli (tie)

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: Awesome Again Stakes, Oct. 2 at Santa Anita Park

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.