Forever Young displaced Sovereignty to lead the Classic rankings

Following his decisive comeback victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), the defending champion received 364 points and 24 first-place votes, edging past Sovereignty with 355 points. Knightsbridge ranked third and Magnitudefourth on a list that also welcomed The Puma

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— Forever Young (Real Steel) needed only a single start to reclaim the throne he had left vacant for nearly six months. His victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) this past Friday during the reopening of Belmont Park had an immediate impact, propelling the defending Breeders’ Cup Classic(G1) champion back to the top spot in the latest official rankings heading into the $7,000,000 contest on October 31 at Keeneland.

The Japanese contender received 364 points and 24 first-place votes, displacing Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who fell to second with 355 points and 12 first-place votes.

While the margin between the top two is slim, the shift highlights the instant impression left by the return of the son of Real Steel.

Trained by Yoshito Yahagi for owner Susumu Fujita, Forever Young had not raced since his runner-up finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1). He returned directly in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, where he drew off to defeat Stars and Stripes (Not This Time) by 3 1/4 lengths.

It was a performance his trainer considered far from his peak form, keeping in mind that the primary goal has always been to reach Keeneland at his absolute best.

There, he will attempt to defend the title he captured in 2025.

The absence of Sovereignty from the Jockey Club Gold Cup due to a foot abscess ultimately prevented the highly anticipated showdown at Belmont Park.

The 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Whitney Stakes (G1) winner remains second in the eyes of the voters with 355 points, trailing Forever Young by just nine points.

The Godolphin homebred, conditioned by Bill Mott, has already returned to the track at Saratoga and maintains the Breeders’ Cup Classic as his central objective.

Mott also trains the third-ranked contender. Knightsbridge (Nyquist), recent winner of the Pacific Classic (G1), accumulated 296 points and continues to rise in the general standing on the road to Keeneland.

Further back sits Magnitude (Not This Time), trained by Steve Asmussen, with 270 points. The Winchell Thoroughbreds representative built a stellar campaign, highlighted by victories in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1).

Furthermore, the top four have all secured automatic entry into the Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

Forever Young earned his Win and You’re In berths by capturing the Saudi Cup (G1) and the Jockey Club Gold Cup; Sovereignty stamped his ticket in the Whitney; Magnitude did so in the Dubai World Cup and the Stephen Foster; and Knightsbridge punched his ticket in the Pacific Classic.

Fifth place went to Golden Tempo (Curlin), with 245 votes. The Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner, trained by Cherie DeVaux for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, remains one of the premier names from a 3-year-old crop that will have a strong presence in the Classic lineup.

Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), who finished second to Sovereignty in the Whitney, occupies sixth place with 129 points and stands as the sole mare on the list. The D.J. Stable champion, trained by Mark Casse, is scheduled to return this Friday in the Beldame Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, though her primary target remains the Breeders’ Cup Distaff(G1).

The main addition to the Top 10 was The Puma. His recent victory in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) propelled him directly into seventh position with 103 votes.

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Essential Quality secured his first career G1 score at Parx after a campaign in which he had finished close to the top division on multiple occasions.

Just one point behind sits Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), winner of the Preakness Stakes (G1) and runner-up in the Travers Stakes (G1), with 102 points.

Renegade (Into Mischief), runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), sits ninth with 95 points.

The rankings are rounded out by Baeza (McKinzie), third in the recent Jockey Club Gold Cup, who collected 40 votes to give Mott three representatives within the top ten.

The poll is compiled by a panel of racing journalists, handicappers, and members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel, utilizing a 10-to-1 descending point scale. The next updates will be released on September 29 and October 6.

However, this latest edition leaves a particularly intriguing takeaway.

Forever Young returned, won, and needed only a few days to reclaim the throne. Sovereignty remains just nine points behind, and Keeneland looms closer on the horizon. If both make it to the gate as their teams expect, the Breeders’ Cup Classic will finally deliver the clash that Belmont Park could not.