Sovereignty remains out in front, while Leading Change and Napoleon Solo continue to make up ground

The Whitney Stakes winner maintained his grip on the top spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings ahead of Forever Young and Knightsbridge; following a brilliant performance in the Travers Stakes, Leading Change surged into sixth place while Napoleon Solo made his entrance at ninth

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— The Travers Stakes (G1) produced fallout extending far beyond its official chart. Leading Change (Gun Runner) and Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), key figures in that grueling finish at Saratoga, cracked the top ten for the first time in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, whose latest update keeps Sovereignty (Into Mischief) at the helm with less than two months remaining before the main event at Keeneland.

The Whitney Stakes (G1) winner gathered 383 points and 24 first-place votes, holding a slim cushion over defending Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) champion Forever Young (Real Steel), who collected 363 points and 12 first-place nods to lead the international delegation.

Sovereignty finds himself navigating a delicate stretch as a foot abscess in a hind hoof altered his training regimen and casts doubt over his bid in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 18 at Belmont Park, where a highly anticipated showdown with Forever Young had been envisioned.

The Japanese sensation has already arrived in New York to complete his next prep step toward Keeneland, where on October 31 he will aim to defend his 2025 crown in the $7,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Third position in the standings belongs to Knightsbridge (Nyquist), another Godolphin contender conditioned by Bill Mott. His commanding victory in the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) elevated him to 319 points, solidifying his role as a major factor for October's championship event.

Right behind stands Magnitude, winner of this year's Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), with 284 points, while Golden Tempo (Curlin) dipped to fifth with 230 points following his third-place finish in the Travers.

Saratoga, in fact, triggered the sharpest moves in the latest poll. Perfect through three career starts, Leading Changejumped straight into sixth with 134 points after pulling off a surprise in the Travers. The Brad Cox trainee outstripped Napoleon Solo by half a length following a sustained stretch duel, completing a rapid rise: he debuted only in June, went on to win the Indiana Derby (G3), and in just his third start became a G1 winner.

His starting status for the Classic, however, remains undecided. Cox kept his options open regarding preserving the son of Gun Runner with an eye toward a 2027 campaign, explicitly floating the Dubai World Cup as a major long-term objective.

A single point behind Leading Change sits Baeza (McKinzie), holding seventh with 133 points as the third Motttrainee inside the top ten. Runner-up in the Stephen Foster and fourth in the Whitney, he maintains a steady presence among the division's heavy hitters.

Nitrogen (Medaglia D'Oro) stands out as the lone filly inside the Top 10. The 4-year-old Mark Casse trainee, runner-up to Sovereignty in the Whitney, occupies eighth position with 132 points.

The other major beneficiary of the Travers was Napoleon Solo. Previous winner of the Preakness Stakes (G1), the Chad Summers pupil finished just half a length behind Leading Change after setting all the pace and now ranks ninth with 91 points.

His future also presents intriguing questions. Summers is weighing a Breeders’ Cup Classic tilt against dropping down for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), keeping the Saudi Cup (G1) next February as his primary target on the horizon.

The Top 10 is rounded out by Renegade (Into Mischief) with 75 points. Second in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), the Todd Pletcher colt comes off an eighth-place finish in a messy Travers, where his chances were compromised right out of the gate.

Sovereignty, Forever Young, Magnitude (Not This Time), and Knightsbridge have all secured guaranteed starting positions in the Classic via wins in designated Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" challenge races, while the remainder of the division continues to build credentials and seek automatic entry.

The next edition of the rankings will be released on September 22, with subsequent updates scheduled for September 29 and October 6.

For now, Sovereignty continues to survey the landscape from the top. Yet between Forever Young's arrival in New York, the rise of Knightsbridge, and the arrival of Leading Change and Napoleon Solo, the road to the Breeders’ Cup Classic grows more captivating by the day.