Godolphin’s Sovereignty, a 3-year-old son of Into Mischief trained by Bill Mott, leads the first week of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings with 383 votes, following dominant wins including the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Jim Dandy Stakes. Close behind is defending champion Sierra Leone, trained by Chad Brown, with 365 votes after winning the Whitney Stakes, and Journalism, winner of the Preakness and Haskell Stakes, in third with 289 votes. Other notable contenders include Mindframe, undefeated in three starts this year, and Nysos, recent San Diego Handicap winner.
The rankings, determined weekly by a panel of racing media, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup officials, rate the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic set for November 1 at Del Mar. While Journalism, Mindframe, Sierra Leone, and Forever Young have secured automatic entries through the Breeders’ Cup challenge series, the rankings themselves do not affect qualification or selection for the race. The list will be updated weekly through October 7.
