Fresh off his front-running victory in last Saturday's TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, 4-year-old Maximum Security has taken over the No. 1 position from 3-year-old Tiz the Law in the 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The 1 ¼-mile Classic, scheduled to be run on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., is the climactic race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
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. 13. A list of voting members can be found here.
Maximum Security, owned by Gary and Mary West, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, garnered 267 votes. Trained by Bob Baffert, Maximum Security won the Pacific Classic by 3 lengths over Sharp Samurai to improve his record to 3-for-3 this year, which includes wins in the inaugural Saudi Cup and the San Diego Handicap (G2). Maximum Security was tied for the No. 1 spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings with Tom's d'Etat in the third week.
Tiz the Law (256 votes), now in second-place, is preparing for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1) after his dominant win in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). On Sunday (Aug. 23), Tiz the Law, who won the Belmont Stakes (G1), breezed five furlongs in 59.47 over Saratoga's main track for trainer Barclay Tagg.
GMB Racing's Tom's d'Etat (213 votes), trained by Al Stall Jr., drops from second to third place. Prior to his third-place finish in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, Tom's d'Etat won the Oaklawn Mile and the Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs.
WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and SF Racing's Improbable (192 votes), retains fourth place. The 4-year-old chestnut son of City Zip, also trained by Baffert, earned a “Win and You're In” automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with his 2-length victory in the Whitney.
Kentucky Derby contender Art Collector (105 votes) jumped from seventh to fifth-place. Owned by Bruce Lunsford and trained by Tom Drury Jr., the 3-year-old son of Bernardini is undefeated in four starts this year, including victories in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and the Ellis Park Derby.
W.S. Farish's 4-year-old Code of Honor (98 votes) remains in sixth place. Trained by Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey III, Code of Honor, a chestnut son of Noble Mission (GB), won the Westchester Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park in June, and was recently fourth in the Whitney.
Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards (97 votes) drops from fifth to seventh place. Trained by Bret Calhoun, the 4-year-old By My Standards, finished second in the Whitney last time out, after winning the New Orleans Handicap (G2) and the Oaklawn Handicap (G2).
Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 5-year-old mare Midnight Bisou and
Juddmonte Farms' 4-year-old Tacitus are tied in eighth place with 74 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bisou, who moved up from ninth place, captured the “Win and You're In” Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs, and finished second as the odds-on favorite in Saratoga's Personal Ensign (G1).
Tacitus, trained by Bill Mott, won the Suburban Stakes (G2) by 8 ¾ lengths at Belmont Park. He is expected to run next in the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 5.
CRK Stable's 3-year-old Honor A. P. is now back in the top 10, rising from 11th place last week. Trained by John Shirreffs, Honor A. P., winner of the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1), worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 Saturday (Aug. 22) at Del Mar in preparation for the Kentucky Derby.
R.A Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma (46 votes), winner of both the Runhappy Carter (G1) and the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), dropped out of the top 10 and is now in 11th place.
Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 26, 2020*
| RANK | HORSE | TOTAL VOTES | FIRST-PLACE VOTES |
| 1 | Maximum Security | 267 | 13 |
| 2 | Tiz the Law | 256 | 11 |
| 3 | Tom's d'Etat | 213 | 4 |
| 4 | Improbable | 192 | 0 |
| 5 | Art Collector | 105 | 0 |
| 6 | Code of Honor | 98 | 0 |
| 7 | By My Standards | 97 | 0 |
| 8 | Midnight Bisou | 74 | 0 |
| 8 | Tacitus | 74 | 0 |
| 10 | Honor A. P. | 67 | 0 |
*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.
In the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.
The 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be televised live on NBC.
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