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Essential Quality Finishes No. 1 In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Benefiting from Grade 1 victories in the Belmont Stakes and the Runhappy Travers Stakes, Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality has finished No. 1 in the final voting of the 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). This year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38^th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality earned 290 votes, and finished four votes ahead of stablemate Knicks Go, who had 286 votes in second place. Last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) winner and Champion 2-Year-old Male, Essential Quality has won five of six starts this year, with his only defeat being a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go had been in first place in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings until Essential Quality overtook him two weeks ago.

Also trained by Cox, Knicks Go has won four races in 2020, including the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park and the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga in August, in which he earned an automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Knicks Go won his final prep for the Classic on Oct. 2 when he registered a 4-length victory in the Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs. In addition to Essential Quality, two other 3-year-olds finished in the top four.

Roadrunner Racing, William Strauss, Boat Racing and Gainesway Stable's Hot Rod Charlie finished in third place with 269 votes. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Hot Rod Charlie won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) on Sept. 25 in his most recent race.

Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit, who won Santa Anita's Awesome Again (G1) on Oct. 2, accumulated 189 votes to finish in fourth place.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield finished in fifth place with 168 votes. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Maxfield earned an automatic starting position in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he captured the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in June.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp's Max Player, who won two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races in the Longines Classic Division this year, finished in sixth place with 150 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Max Player was victorious in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in July, and followed up that score with a triumph in The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 4.

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector finished in seventh place with 142 points for trainer Bill Mott. Art Collector was a frontrunning winner of the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on Oct. 2 in his final tune-up for the Classic.

Prince A A Faisal's 4-year-old Mishriff (IRE) finished in eighth place with 67 votes. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mishriff gained an invitation to the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse in England on Aug. 18.

The John Sadler-trained Tripoli finished in ninth place with 50 votes. Owned by Hronis Racing, Tripoli secured a free berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar in August.

St. Elias Stable's Dr Post rounded out the top 10 with 38 votes. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Dr Post finished third in the Woodward Stakes.

FINAL Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Oct. 12, 2021*

Rank	Horse	Votes	First-Place Votes	Previous Week
1	Essential Quality	290	14	1
2	Knicks Go	286	12	2
3	Hot Rod Charlie	234	1	3
4	Medina Spirit	189	1	4
5	Maxfield	168	1	5
6	Max Player	150	0	6
7	Art Collector	142	1	6
8	Mishriff (IRE)	67	2	9
9	Tripoli	50	0	10
10	Dr Post	38	0	10

*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings were determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. 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.

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Richard Baltas Not Sitting On ‘Idol’ Ahead Of Breeders’ Cup Classic

Richard Baltas is counting down to the Breeders' Cup with Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol for the Classic and Ginobili for the Dirt Mile, both at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Idol is coming off a 16-length defeat by front-running Medina Spirit in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 3, a race in which he had a wide trip, while Ginobili drew away last out to win the G2 Pat O'Brien by nearly two lengths on Aug. 28.

Baltas is staunchly on record as saying Idol was in need of the Awesome Again Stakes, his first start in seven months, and that the 4-year-old Curlin colt is ideally suited for a mile and a quarter, the distance of both the Big 'Cap and the BC Classic.

“Idol came out of the race really good,” said Baltas, a 60-year-old native of Gary, Indiana. “I think the pace (in the Awesome Again) was kind of slow but he looks good, he's been galloping at Santa Anita and I'll probably breeze him before we ship to Del Mar.

“Ginobili is going in the Dirt Mile. He breezed (six furlongs) in 1:11 and three at San Luis Rey yesterday like nothing. We're pretty happy with him.”

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Hot Rod Charlie Tunes Up for Breeders’ Cup

Trainer Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) began tightening the screws for the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a four-furlong move at Santa Anita Saturday morning. Out at 7:45 a.m., the popular dark bay, known for his gritty style, had Mike Smith in the irons. The Hall of Famer was filling in for regular rider Flavien Prat, who was riding at Keeneland Saturday.

“He went a half-mile in 48 and change and galloped out in 1:01 and three,” said O'Neill. “He looked good. It was his first piece of exercise since the Pennsylvania Derby win. If all goes well and he stays injury-free, he'll have three more works between now and Nov. 6.”

Hot Rod Charlie was wearing French blinkers for the work. O'Neill said it was likely he'd wear the same equipment in the Classic.

Owned by Boat Racing LLC, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie won his first Grade I event in the Sept. 29 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. He has also won the GII Louisiana Derby this year, but he's made headlines more for the races he didn't win, most notably the July 17 GI TVG.com Haskell S., where he finished first but was placed seventh for heavy interference. Hot Rod Charlie has also placed in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S., in addition to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year.

With a number of frontrunners committed to the Classic, Hot Rod Charlie's ability to sit just off the pace may be a powerful weapon.

“We've got options,” said O'Neill. “He's shown he can win on the front or from sitting behind, so I like where we're at. He's definitely a versatile colt. We'll probably have two more works at Santa Anita and head to Del Mar on the 25th where he'll have his last work.”

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Hot Rod Charlie Works In Preparation For BC Classic Nov. 6

Hot Rod Charlie, who captured the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in Bensalem, Pa., on Sept. 29 for his first Grade I victory, worked four furlongs at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., this morning at 7:45 as he prepares for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on Nov. 6.

With Mike Smith filling in for regular rider Flavien Prat, the son of Oxbow breezed wearing “a little set of French blinkers,” Doug O'Neill said.

“He went a half-mile in 48 and change and galloped out in 1:01 and three (fifths),” the trainer added. “He looked good. It was his first piece of exercise since the Pennsylvania Derby win.

“If all goes well and he stays injury-free, he'll have three more works between now and Nov. 6.

“More than likely, he'll wear a set of French blinkers in the Classic, but we haven't made that official yet.”

French blinkers are used to reduce a small portion of a horse's usual field of vision.

With committed front-runners Knicks Go, Medina Spirit, and Art Collector ticketed for the Classic, it could set up well for Hot Rod Charlie, who has been in close attendance to the pace in each of his 11 races.

“We've got options,” O'Neill said. “He's shown he can win on the front or from sitting behind, so I like where we're at. He's definitely a versatile colt.

“We'll probably have two more works at Santa Anita and head to Del Mar on the 25th where he'll have his last work.”

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