Fierceness ducked, dodged and dipped his way to victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic over the weekend, moving to No. 2 behind Sovereignty in the latest Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings.
The rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million BC Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
There was a bit more shuffling in the rankings after two Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In" races to the Classic were contested, the Pacific Classic at Del Mar and the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
While Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty held firm atop the rankings released on Tuesday with 36 first-place votes and 404 points, Sierra Leone dropped to third from second after a second-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, won by Antiquarian.
Antiquarian, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, moved into the rankings for the first time at No. 8 (tied with Baeza). Pletcher also trains Fierceness as well as Mindframe, who unseated rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, giving him three horses in the top 10.
Nysos, who was scratched from the Pacific Classic, dropped two spots to seventh.
Fierceness overcame a poor start and won the Pacific Classic by 3 ¼ lengths over Journalism, the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) winner who dropped only one spot, from fourth to fifth.
Fierceness received three first-place votes and 346 points from the panel of thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders’ Cup directors/secretaries panel.
Saudi Cup (G1) winner Forever Young (JPN) remains sixth. Highland Falls, third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup after the disqualification of Phileas Fogg, is 10th.
In the rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.
The rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Classic. The 1 ¼-mile race is limited to 14 starters.
Nine horses have already clinched spots in the field by winning “Win and You’re In” races – Costa Nova (February Stakes), Sierra Leone (Whitney), Forever Young (Saudi Cup), Journalism (Haskell), Mindframe (Stephen Foster), Hit Show (Dubai World Cup), Ombudsman (Juddmonte International), Fierceness (Pacific Classic) and Antiquarian (Jockey Club Gold Cup).
| Rank | Horse | Votes | First Place Votes | Previous Week |
| 1 | Sovereignty | 404 | 36 | 1 |
| 2 | Fierceness | 346 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Sierra Leone | 326 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Mindframe | 273 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Journalism | 224 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | Forever Young (JPN) | 184 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Nysos | 138 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Antiquarian | 106 | 0 | NR* |
| 9 | Baeza | 106 | 0 | 8 |
| 10 | Highland Falls | 58 | 0 | 9 |
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
