Tag: Knicks Go

Essential Quality Retains Top Spot In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Essential Quality, the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner, retained the No. 1 position for the third consecutive week 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 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Owned by Godolphin and trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old Essential Quality accumulated 273 votes, and leads stablemate Knicks Go, who is in second place with 270 votes. Also trained by Cox, the 5-year-old Knicks Go has won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park and the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga this year.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, stayed in third place with 221 votes. A three-time winner in 2020, Maxfield secured an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he captured the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in June. Belmont Stakes runner-up Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O'Neill, is in fourth place with 178 votes. Owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie has been entered in Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp's Max Player has won two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races in the Longines Classic Division this year, scoring victories in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in July and The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga earlier this month. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Max Player is in fifth place with 163 votes.

Hronis Racing's 4-year-old Tripoli, who gained a free berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar in August, is in sixth place. Trained by John Sadler, Tripoli has 96 votes.

There was some juggling in the standings from places seven through 10 this week. Winchell Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old Midnight Bourbon rose two positions from ninth to seventh place with 90 points. Also trained by Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon finished a close second to Essential Quality in the Runhappy Travers Stakes. Midnight Bourbon is also entered in the Pennsylvania Derby. Prince A A Faisal's 4-year-old Mishriff (IRE) improved from 10th place to eighth with 64 votes. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mishriff earned an automatic starting position in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse in England on Aug. 18.

Zedan Racing Stable's 3-year-old Medina Spirit, winner of the listed Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, slipped one spot to ninth place with 61 votes. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska dropped from seventh place to 10th with 53 votes. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has won three Grade 1 races this year, including last month's Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga.

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Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Sept. 21, 2021*

Rank Horse Votes First-Place Votes Previous Week
1 Essential Quality 273 8 1
2 Knicks Go 270 16 2
3 Maxfield 221 3 3
4 Hot Rod Charlie 178 1 4
5 Max Player 163 0 5
6 Tripoli 96 0 6
7 Midnight Bourbon 90 0 9
8 Mishriff (IRE) 64 2 10
9 Medina Spirit 61 0 8
10 Letruska 53 0 7

*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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Essential Quality Leads Knicks Go In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Godolphin's Essential Quality, the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner, maintained a two-vote advantage over stablemate Knicks Go for the lead 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 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old Essential Quality received 282 votes in his second week at No. 1. Just behind Essential Quality with 280 votes is the Cox-trained 5-year-old Knicks Go, who won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park and the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga this year.

The next five places in the rankings remained the same from last week. Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, who earned an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in June, has 228 votes. Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss's Hot Rod Charlie, third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and second in the Belmont Stakes, is in fourth place with 184 votes for trainer Doug O'Neill.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp's Max Player is in fifth place with 153 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the 4-year-old Max Player has won two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races this year in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Division, taking the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in July and The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga earlier this month.

Hronis Racing's 4-year-old Tripoli, who triumphed in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar and gained a free starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, is in sixth place. Trained by John Sadler, Tripoli has 153 votes. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska is in seventh place with 70 votes. Letruska, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, won her third Grade 1 race this year when she captured last month's Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga.

Zedan Racing Stable's 3-year-old Medina Spirit, winner of the listed Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, rose from 10th place to eighth with 68 votes. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon dropped from eighth place to ninth this week with 67 votes. Also trained by Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon finished second to Essential Quality in the Runhappy Travers Stakes. Prince A A Faisal's 4-year-old Mishriff (IRE) drops one spot to 10th place with 65 votes. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mishriff secured a free berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse in England on Aug. 18.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Sept. 14, 2021*

Rank Horse Votes First-Place Votes Previous Week
1 Essential Quality 282 9 1
2 Knicks Go 280 15 2
3 Maxfield 228 3 3
4 Hot Rod Charlie 184 1 4
5 Max Player 153 0 5
6 Tripoli 101 0 6
7 Letruska 70 0 7
8 Medina Spirit 68 0 10
9 Midnight Bourbon 67 0 8
10 Mishriff (IRE) 65 3 9

*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 Remains Atop NTRA Poll As Connections Weigh Final Breeders’ Cup Preps

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).

Click here for this week's complete poll results.

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PR Back Ring Book 1, Keeneland September: Which Stallion-Making Races Make The Best Stallions?

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ISSUE OF THE PR BACK RING

The latest issue of the PR Back Ring is now online, looking ahead to Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The PR Back Ring is the Paulick Report's bloodstock newsletter, released ahead of, and during, every major North American Thoroughbred auction. Seeking to expand beyond the usual pdf presentation, the Back Ring offers a dynamic experience for bloodstock content, heavy on visual elements and statistics to appeal to readers on all platforms, especially mobile devices.

Here is what's inside this issue…

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ISSUE OF THE PR BACK RING

  • Lead Feature Presented By Gainesway: Meredith Daugherty polls the decision-makers at major Kentucky stallion operations about which Grade 1 races for 3-year-olds hold the most weight when assessing potential stallion prospects.
  • Stallion Spotlight: Sean Tugel of Gaineseway discusses young sire Karakontie, who is getting notable winners on both surfaces.
  • Honor Roll Presented By Keeneland: Breeder Sabrina Moore reflects on the journey Knicks Go has taken from a $40,000 yearling at the Keeneland September sale to an earner of more than $5.3 million.
  • Ask Your Insurer Presented By Muirfield Insurance: Bryce Burton of Muirfield Insurance goes into the details of covering yearlings, including notable dates and endorsements.
  • Second-Crop Sire Watch: Stallions whose second crops of yearlings are represented in the Keeneland September catalog, including the number of horses cataloged and the farm where the stallion is currently advertised.

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ISSUE OF THE PR BACK RING

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