Knicks Go Pointing For Lukas Classic At Churchill Downs On Oct. 2

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 13, 2021) ― Korea Racing Authority’s 5-year-old Knicks Go retained his No. 1 rating in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll for the sixth straight week as there were no changes in the overall Top 10.

Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go received 20 first-place votes (one more top vote than last week) and 333 points. Knicks Go is expected to make his final start prior to the Nov. 5-6 Breeders’ Cup World Championships in the $400,000 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs on Oct. 2.

St. George Stable’s 5-year-old mare Letruska is in second place with six first-place votes and 312 points. Letruska has won five races this year for trainer Fausto Gutierrez, including the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. Godolphin’s 3-year-old Essential Quality, who won the Runhappy Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 28, remained in third place with 10 first-place votes and 304 points. Also trained by Cox, Essential Quality was last year’s Eclipse Award winner as Champion Two-Year-Old Male.

Michael Lund Petersen’s 4-year-old filly Gamine, winner of the Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 28, remained in fourth place for the third consecutive week with 164 points.

Godolphin’s 4-year-old Maxfield, winner of the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs and second in the Whitney, is in fifth place with 152 points.

Rounding out the top 10 is George Hall’s Max Player (132 points), Klaravich Stable’s Domestic Spending (114), Kirk and Judy Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior (106), Shadwell Stable’s Malathaat (90) and Winchell Thoroughbred’s and Willis Horton Racing’s Silver State (55).

TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL

Week 31 of the 2021 NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), covering racing performances through September 12. 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.

HORSEA-SSTATSPOINTSPVS
1KNICKS GO (20)5-H5-3-0-03331
2LETRUSKA (6)5-M6-5-1-03122
3ESSENTIAL QUALITY (10)3-C6-5-0-03043
4GAMINE4-F4-4-0-01644
5MAXFIELD4-C5-3-1-11525
6MAX PLAYER4-C4-2-0-01326
7DOMESTIC SPENDING4-G3-2-1-01147
8JACKIE'S WARRIOR3-C5-3-1-11068
9MALATHAAT3-F4-3-1-0909
10SILVER STATE4-C5-4-0-15510

Other horses receiving votes: SHEDARESTHEDEVIL (35), WAR LIKE GODDESS (28), HOT ROD CHARLIE (25), MONOMOY GIRL (19), MEDINA SPIRIT (18), MYSTIC GUIDE (17), LIFE IS GOOD (17), ALTHIQA (15), GUFO (9), TRIPOLI (6), YAUPON (4), GOING GLOBAL (3), WAR GODDESS (3), COLONEL LIAM (3), CODE OF HONOR (3), BELLA SOFIA (2), MO FORZA (2), HELLO HOT ROD (2), SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT (2), GOFU (1), ECHO ZULU (1), PRINCESS GRACE (1), IMPERADOR (1), MANDALOUN (1)