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 led the voting for the final Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, a poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 6 at Del Mar, as connections prepared their horses for the $6 million race. Mishriff (#8) is the only horse in the top 10 with a prep race remaining; he will start in the QIPCO Champions Stakes Saturday at Ascot in England and will probably not run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic three weeks later and a continent away.

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 season are below.

Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings for Oct. 13

Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo

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.

Eclipse Sportswire

2. Knicks Go (12 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.

Eclipse Sportswire

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.

Coady Photography

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.

Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo

6. 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.

Janet Garaguso/NYRA Photo

7. 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.

Coady Photography

8. 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.

Eclipse Sportswire

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

Click to add to Equibase Virtual Stable.

Eclipse Sportswire

10. Dr Post 

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.