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Whitney Win Vaults Knicks Go To Top Of Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go, dominant winner of last Saturday's Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, has vaulted to No. 1 in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). This year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38^th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Knicks Go, trained by Brad Cox, rose from fourth place to the top of the Classic Rankings, receiving 314 votes. Knicks Go led the 1 1/8-mile Whitney from start to finish, winning by 4 ½ lengths over Maxfield, who had been the top-rated horse in the poll for the first six weeks. Knicks Go has won three of five starts this year, which includes the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January and the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) in July. Last year, Knicks Go won the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, also trained by Cox, stayed in second place this week with 276 votes. Essential Quality, last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner, won the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga and the Belmont Stakes (G1) in his last two starts. Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield dropped from first to third place this week with 269 votes. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Maxfield has won three races in 2021, including the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, in which he earned an automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss's 3-year-old Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O'Neill, dropped one position to fourth place with 202 votes.

Juddmonte's 3-year-old Mandaloun, winner of the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) on July 17, remained in fifth place with 127 votes. Also trained by Cox, Mandaloun has been taken out of training for the remainder of the year due to a sore foot.

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska rose one spot to sixth place with 96 votes. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska won the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park and the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in her last two starts.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State dropped one spot to seventh place with 95 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State finished third in the Whitney, suffering his first defeat of the year after four wins.

CRK Stable's 4-year-old Express Train, winner of the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar, remained in eighth place with 85 votes.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.'s 4-year-old Max Player, winner of Belmont's Suburban (G2), is in ninth place. Also trained by Asmussen, Max Player has 70 votes.

Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver and Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship (BRZ) are tied in 10^th place with 53 votes apiece. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Happy Saver lost his first race in six starts when he finished third in the Suburban. Royal Ship won the Californian Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita in April and was recently third in the San Diego Handicap for trainer Richard Mandella.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 10, 2021*

Rank	Horse	Votes	First-Place Votes	Previous Week
1	Knicks Go	314	22	4
2	Essential Quality	276	4	2
3	Maxfield	269	6	1
4	Hot Rod Charlie	202	1	3
5	Mandaloun	127	0	5
6	Letruska	96	0	7
7	Silver State	95	0	6
8	Express Train	85	0	8
9	Max Player	70	0	9
10	Happy Saver	53	0	9
10	Royal Ship (BRZ)	53	0	0

*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 11. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

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Knicks Go Takes Over Top Spot In NTRA Thoroughbred Poll

Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go, dominant winner of Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga Race Course, jumped from sixth place to the No. 1 position in the latest NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go received 29 first-place votes and 374 points. A Maryland-bred son of Paynter, Knicks Go led the 1 1/8-mile Whitney from start to finish, defeating Godolphin's Maxfield by 4 ½ lengths. In registering his third win in five starts this year, Knicks Go earned a 111 Beyer Speed Figure, which was just two points shy of this year's top North American figure of 113 that he received when he captured the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap by 10 ¼ lengths on July 2.

In this week's poll, Knicks Go, who also won the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, overtook the 5-year-old mare Letruska, who is now in second place after holding onto the top spot for the previous five weeks. Owned by St. George's Stable and trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has seven first place votes and 326 points. Letruska has won four of five starts this year, including the June 26 Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs in her most recent start.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, who won the July 31 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, remained in third place. Also trained by Cox, Essential Quality, who captured the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 5, has one first-place vote and 269 points.

Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending remained in fourth place with two first-place votes and 251 points. Trained by Chad Brown, Domestic Spending, the only turf horse in the top 10, finished in a dead heat for first in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, and won the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park.

Following his defeat in the Whitney, Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, dropped from second place to fifth place with 250 points. Maxfield is a three-time winner this year, including a victory in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's Silver State finished third in the Whitney, suffering his first defeat of the year after four consecutive wins, including the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. Silver State, trained by Steve Asmussen, dropped from fifth to sixth place with 148 points.

Michael Lund Petersen's 4-year-old Gamine, the 2020 champion female sprinter, stayed in seventh place with 92 points. Gamine is unbeaten in three starts this year, including a victory in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall Jackson Winery at Churchill Downs.

Juddmonte officials announced on Tuesday that its 3-year-old Mandaloun has been taken out of training for the remainder of the year due to a sore right hind foot. Also trained by Cox, Mandaloun, second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, and winner of the Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes, is in eighth place with 65 points.

Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, crossed the wire first in the TVG.com Haskell but was disqualified and placed seventh due to interference. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Hot Rod Charlie, remained in ninth place with 56 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Grade 1 Dubai World Cup winner, Mystic Guide, also sidelined due to injury, is in 10th place with 52 points.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-august-9-2021/

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Maxfield Tops Essential Quality In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

For the sixth consecutive week, Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield is the No. 1 rated horse in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). This year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38^th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, received 22 first-place votes and 280 total votes. Maxfield earned an automatic berth into this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 26.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner, remained in second place with 273 votes. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality won Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga by a half-length over Keepmeinmind. The victory was Essential Quality's fourth in five starts this year and was his first start since winning the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 5.

Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss's 3-year-old Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O'Neill, is in third place with 225 votes.

Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January and the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) on July 2, moved up one spot to fourth place with 163 votes.

Also trained by Cox, Knicks Go is expected to face Maxfield and Silver State in this Saturday's Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, which is a “Win and You're In” for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Juddmonte's 3-year-old Mandaloun drops one spot to fifth place with 161 votes. Also trained by Cox, Mandaloun finished a nose behind Hot Rod Charlie in the July 17 TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, but was declared the race winner following the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie for interference in the stretch.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State remained in sixth place with 105 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State is unbeaten in four starts this year, which includes victories in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Belmont's Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska stayed in seventh place with 85 votes. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska won the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park and the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in her last two starts.

CRK Stable's 4-year-old Express Train, winner of the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar, rose from 10^th to eighth place with 66 votes. George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.'s 4-year-old Max Player, winner of Belmont's Suburban (G2), is tied in ninth place with Wertheimer and Frere's 4-year-old Happy Saver, who finished third in the Suburban. Max Player, also trained by Asmussen, and Happy Saver, trained by Todd Pletcher, have 59 points apiece.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 3, 2021*

Rank	Horse	Votes	First-Place Votes	Previous Week
1	Maxfield	280	22	1
2	Essential Quality	273	7	2
3	Hot Rod Charlie	225	1	3
4	Knicks Go	163	0	5
5	Mandaloun	161	0	4
6	Silver State	105	0	6
7	Letruska	85	0	7
8	Express Train	66	0	10
9	Happy Saver	59	0	9
9	Max Player	59	0	8

*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

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Luis Saez Voted Jockey Of The Week After Graded Stakes Double

With two graded stakes wins including the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, Luis Saez was voted Jockey of the Week for July 26 through August 1. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

On Saturday at Saratoga, trainer Brad Cox called on regular rider Luis Saez to pilot Champion Essential Quality in the highly anticipated Jim Dandy at nine furlongs. Starting for the first time since his victory in the G1 Belmont Stakes in June, Essential Quality was the heavy favorite in the field of five breaking from post position five. Saez and Essential Quality were four wide into the first turn but within 2-1/2 lengths of the frontrunner Dr Jack. The duo continued four wide into the far turn. As the field turned for home, Saez and Essential Quality made a sweeping outside move to take command at the three-sixteenths, but had to dig-in when challenged by Joel Rosario on Keepmeinmind. It was a race down to the finish line with Essential Quality pulling clear in the shadow of the wire in a final time of 1:49.92.

“I saw him (Keepmeinmind), but I had a lot horse and I knew he was going to finish,” said Saez.

Saez continued his winning ways in the next race, the Grade 2 Bowling Green. Riding for trainer Mike Maker, Saez and defending champion Cross Border were always within striking distance of the early leaders Channel Cat and Channel Maker. Saez angled Cross Border out from the rail out of the final turn to overtake Channel Cat in the final furlong and hit the wire in the front by 1-1/2 lengths in 2:16.36 for the 1-3/8 miles contest.

“He loves it here. This is a special horse that I love riding,” Saez said. “He always tries hard. Today he ran huge. It set up perfect with a good pace.”

Saez's weekly statistics were 41-8-4-6 for a 19.5% win rate and total purse earnings of $860,098 which led all riders. Saez was also leading rider in stakes earnings with $500,825.

Saez out polled fellow riders Corey Lanerie who won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss, Jose Lezcano who won the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Joel Rosario with two stakes wins, and Sheldon Russell with one stakes victory while registering his 1,500th career victory.

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