Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Epicenter, winner of the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, rose to third place in the latest Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, while the undefeated Flightline maintained the overall lead. The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings is a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 5.
Flightline, trained by John Sadler, earned 290 votes to stay on top of the rankings for the 10th consecutive week. Owned by Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, LLC, Flightline is expected to start in this Saturday's TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, which provides the winner with an automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Life Is Good, who won both the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the Whitney (G1) for trainer Todd Pletcher, is in second place with 256 votes.
Winchell Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old Epicenter, a 5 ¼-length winner of the Travers for trainer Steve Asmussen, is in third place with 244 votes. Another runner expected to start in the TVG Pacific Classic is Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC, WinStar Farm LLC, and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.'s County Grammer. Trained by Bob Baffert, Country Grammer, the Dubai World Cup winner, is in fourth place with 187 votes.
Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss' 4-year-old Hot Rod Charlie, who was second in the Dubai World Cup, and third in the Whitney, is in fifth place with 126 votes.
Gold Square LLC's 3-year-old Cyberknife, who finished second in the Travers, is now in a sixth-place tie with Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable LLC, and LNJ Foxwoods' 4-year-old Olympiad, winner of the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2). Cyberknife and Olympiad have 98 points apiece. Wertheimer and Frere's 5-year-old Happy Saver, who was second in the Whitney, is in eighth place with 77 votes.
Fox Hill Farms, Inc. and Siena Farm LLC's Royal Ship (BRZ), also slated to start in the Pacific Classic, retains ninth place with 53 points for trainer Richard Mandella.
Tied for 10th place with 37 points each are Alabama Stakes (G1) winning 3-year-old filly Nest, owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House, and the 3-year-old Taiba, winner of the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) and second in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) for Zedan Racing Stables Inc.
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. 11. A list of voting members can be found here.
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.
Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 30, 2022*
| Rank | Horse | Votes | First-Place Votes | Previous Week |
| 1 | Flightline | 290 | 23 | 1 |
| 2 | Life Is Good | 256 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Epicenter | 244 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Country Grammer | 187 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Hot Rod Charlie | 126 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Cyberknife | 98 | 0 | 8 |
| 6 | Olympiad | 98 | 0 | 6 |
| 8 | Happy Saver | 77 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | Royal Ship (BRZ) | 53 | 0 | 9 |
| 10 | Nest | 37 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Taiba | 37 | 0 | 12 |
*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.
The 2022 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track at Keeneland, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.
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