From the Breeders’ Cup Media Team / Jim Gluckson:

LOCKED JOINS TOP 10 IN LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC RANKINGS
Sovereignty Remains No. 1 in Weekly International Poll Tracking Leading Contenders for $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2025) ― Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Locked, winner of Saturday’s Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack, has joined the top 10 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, whileSovereignty remains the overall leader.
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), which will be run Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California, during the 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
The 4-year-old Locked, trained by Todd Pletcher, scored a three-quarters of a length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Woodward for his second win in five starts this year. The triumph propelled the son of Gun Runner from 11th to ninth place in the rankings with 50 votes after the ninth week of the poll.
Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, leads the rankings with 394 votes. Pacific Classic (G1) winner Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, is in second place with 335 votes for Repole Stable, Derrick Smith, Michael B. Tabor, and Mrs. John Magnier.
Whitney Stakes (G1) winner, and defending Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Sierra Leone, is in third place with 324 votes for owners Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith, and trainer Chad Brown.
Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) winner Mindframe is in fourth place with 240 votes for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC, and trainer Todd Pletcher.
Journalism, winner of the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1), is in fifth place with 222 votes for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith, and trainer Michael McCarthy.
Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young (JPN), who won the Saudi Cup (G1) and finished third in last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, is in sixth place with 181 votes for trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine’s Baeza, winner of the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), is in seventh place for trainer John Shirreffs. Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian, who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), is in eighth place with 125 votes. Antiquarian is the fourth horse trained by Todd Pletcher in the top 10 of the rankings.
Following Locked in 10th place is Godolphin’s 5-year-old homebred Highland Falls, runner-up in the Whitney Stakes (G1), who has 42 votes for trainer Brad Cox.
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 7. A list of voting members can be found here.
In the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.
Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings – Sept. 30, 2025*
 
Rank
Horse
Votes
First Place Votes
Previous Week
1
Sovereignty
394
35
1
2
Fierceness
335
2
2
3
Sierra Leone
324
2
3
4
Mindframe
240
0
4
5
Journalism
222
0
5
6
Forever Young (JPN)
181
1
6
7
Baeza
178
0
7
8
Antiquarian
125
0
8
9
Locked
50
0
11
10
Highland Falls
42
0
9
 
*Note – The Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 1/4 miles on the main track at Del Mar, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.