LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 25, 2021) ― There was no change in the top three positions in this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll as Korea Racing Stable’s 5-year-old horse Knicks Go retained his top ranking for the twelfth consecutive week in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 23 first place votes and 339 points. Knicks Go is expected to be sent off the favorite in the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.
St. George Stable’s 5-year-old mare Letruska remained in second place in the poll with six first place votes and 313 points. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska is a leading contender for the Grade 1, $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Godolphin’s 3-year-old standout colt Essential Quality, who like Knicks Go is trained by 2020 Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, remained in third place in this week’s poll with seven first place votes and 299 points. Essential Quality also is being pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The lone change in this week’s poll saw Roadrunner Racing, William Strauss, Boat Racing and Gainesway Stable’s Hot Rod Charlie, another leading Classic contender, jump one spot to fourth place in this week’s poll with 163 points. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior, a leading contender for the Grade 1, $2,000,000 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint, fell to fifth place in the voting with 159 points.
Michael Lund Petersen’s Gamine, who is being pointed for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, was sixth in the poll with 130 points. Zedan Racing Stable’s Breeders’ Cup Classic hopeful, Medina Spirit (122 points), remained in seventh-place, followed by Bruce Lunsford’s Art Collector (92 points), George Hall’s Max Player (83 points) and Klaravich Stable’s Domestic Spending (70 points).
TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL
Week 37 of the 2021 NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), covering racing performances through October 24. Current Horse of the Year ranking of the Top Thoroughbred on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1 basis with first place votes in parentheses, 2021 record and total points. Poll Concludes Monday, Nov. 6. A-S: Age-Sex, Sex: C-colt, G-gelding, H-horse, F-filly, M-mare, R-ridgling.
HORSE | A-S | STATS | POINTS | PVS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | KNICKS GO (23) | 5-H | 6-4-0-0 | 339 | 1 |
2 | LETRUSKA (6) | 5-M | 7-6-1-0 | 313 | 2 |
3 | ESSENTIAL QUALITY (7) | 3-C | 6-5-0-0 | 299 | 3 |
4 | HOT ROD CHARLIE | 3-C | 6-2-1-2 | 163 | 5 |
5 | JACKIE'S WARRIOR | 3-C | 6-4-1-1 | 159 | 4 |
6 | GAMINE | 4-F | 4-4-0-0 | 130 | 6 |
7 | MEDINA SPIRIT | 3-C | 8-4-3-1 | 122 | 7 |
8 | ART COLLECTOR | 4-C | 4-3-0-0 | 92 | 8 |
9 | MAX PLAYER | 4-C | 4-2-0-0 | 83 | 9 |
10 | DOMESTIC SPENDING | 4-G | 3-2-1-0 | 70 | 10 |
Other horses receiving votes: MALATHAAT (46), LIFE IS GOOD (42), MAXFIELD (31), SHEDARESTHEDEVIL (28), WAR LIKE GODDESS (19), MONOMOY GIRL (7), SILVER STATE (6), GOLDEN PAL (6), DR. SCHIVEL (4), MO FORZA (4), MYSTIC GUIDE (4), COLONEL LIAM (4), WAR GODDESS (3), ALTHIQA (3), GUFO (2), JACK CHRISTOPHER (1)