Susumu Fujita’s reigning Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) champion, Forever Young, secured the top spot in the final 2026 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings. These rankings highlight the leading 10 contenders vying for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, scheduled for October 31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, as part of the 43rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, amassed 371 points including 25 first-place votes, maintaining the number one position for the third straight week after overtaking the defending Horse of the Year, Sovereignty, following his win in the Sept. 18 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. Following closely was Godolphin LLC’s Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, who claimed victory in the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) and secured second place in the rankings with 357 votes, including 12 first-place nods, after winning the Aug. 8 Whitney Stakes (G1).
Godolphin’s Knightsbridge, also trained by Bill Mott and winner of the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), placed third with 272 votes. Magnitude, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and trained by Steve Asmussen, who captured the Dubai World Cup (G1) and the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), earned fourth place with 268 votes. Golden Tempo, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes victor trained by Cherie DeVaux, was the highest-ranked three-year-old, finishing fifth with 252 votes.
Napoleon Solo, owned by Espoir USA Inc. and trained by Chad Summers, who won the Preakness Stakes (G1) and placed second in the Haskell Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1), ranked sixth with 144 votes. The Puma, trained by Gustavo Delgado and owned by OGMA Investments LLC and partners, secured seventh place with 134 votes after winning the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
Further Ado, winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and runner-up in the Pennsylvania Derby under trainer Brad Cox, was eighth with 89 votes. Forged Steel, a four-year-old trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and winner of the Goodwood Stakes (G1) for C2 Racing Stable LLC and partners, took ninth with 84 votes. Baeza, owned by CRK Stable LLC and Grandview Equine and third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, rounded out the top ten with 57 votes, marking the third horse from Bill Mott’s stable in the top rankings. Notably, Baeza’s retirement was announced post-voting.
Automatic berths into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic have been awarded through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series to Forever Young (Saudi Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup), Sovereignty (Whitney Stakes), Magnitude (Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster Stakes), Knightsbridge (Pacific Classic), and Forged Steel (Goodwood Stakes).
The rankings were compiled by a panel including leading Thoroughbred racing media, bettors, and members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. The voters assign points based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale. Updates to the rankings were released between August 11 and October 6. The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, a 1 1/4 mile race on Keeneland’s main track, caps its field at 14 entrants and will be broadcast live on NBC.
Fan Take: This ranking cements Forever Young’s status as the one to beat and promises an electrifying showdown at Keeneland. For horse racing enthusiasts, the lineup showcases a thrilling blend of seasoned champions and rising stars, signaling a vibrant future for the sport with high stakes and fierce competition ahead.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
