ntra top thoroughbred poll | Horse Racing Free Tips

Stablemates Knicks Go, Essential Quality Top First NTRA Polls Of 2021

Last month, Brad Cox earned his first Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer as a result of his barn's superior exploits during the 2020 season. The Louisville native looks primed to continue that stellar run this year as his trainees Knicks Go and reigning juvenile male champion Essential Quality rank as the top vote getters in the first editions of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll and NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll, respectively, for 2021.

Knicks Go captured the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in track-record setting fashion last November to cap off his 2020 campaign. The 5-year-old son of Paynter further signaled his presence as a leader in the handicap division when he began 2021 with a triumph in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes on Jan. 23, an effort that helped earn him 27 first-place votes and 341 total points.

Knicks Go is slated to be among the favorites for Saturday's $20 million Saudi Cup where he is set to face fellow Grade 1 winner Charlatan, who notched 4 first-place votes and 250 points to rank second on the year's first Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Godolphin's unbeaten homebred Maxfield, winner of the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 13, ranks third with 1 first-place vote and 232 points while champion distaffer Monomoy Girl (3 first-place votes, 223 points) sits fourth.

Colonel Liam, who captured the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes on January 23, is fifth with 146 points followed by champion filly Swiss Skydiver (124 points), Jesus' Team (102), and champion female sprinter Gamine (72).

Channel Maker, the champion turf male of 2020, is ninth with 56 points while champion male sprinter Whitmore (55 points) rounds out the top ten.

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality went unbeaten in three starts during his 2-year-old campaign, including victories in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Fittingly, the son of Tapit heads up the year's first Top Three-Year-Old Poll with 24 first-place votes and 325 points.

The Bob Baffert-trained Life Is Good ranks second with 5 first-place votes and 272 points while Mandaloun, winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes this past weekend, is third with 4 first-place votes and 212 points.

Holy Bull Stakes winner Greatest Honour (1 first-place vote, 204 points) sits fourth with Medina Spirit (176 points) in fifth. Caddo River (1 first-place vote, 137 points) ranks sixth followed by Concert Tour (85 points), Keepmeinmind (84), and Jackie's Warrior (66). Risk Taking (63 points) completes the top ten.

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 Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through November 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-february-16-2021/

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Little Movement In NTRA 3-Year-Old, Top Thoroughbred Polls Ahead Of Breeders’ Cup

Less than two weeks out from the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Nov. 6-7, there was little change in both the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll and NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Ahead of his expected start in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Kentucky Derby winner Authentic continues to hold down the top spot in the Three-Year-Old Poll with 15 first-place votes and 330 points. The son of Into Mischief tuned up for the Breeders' Cup with a seven-furlong breeze in 1:24.40 at Santa Anita Park on October 24, his second timed workout since finishing second in the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes.

Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law is also slated to be one of the top contenders for the Breeders' Cup Classic and moved back into the No. 2 spot on the poll this week with 10 first-place votes and 323 points. The son of Constitution arrived at Keeneland last week where he worked six furlongs in 1:13.20 on Oct. 23.

Preakness Stakes heroine Swiss Skydiver, who remains under consideration for either the Breeders' Cup Distaff or Classic, dips one spot this week to third with 11 first-place votes and 318 points. Grade 2 winner Art Collector (193 points) ranks fourth, ahead of Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver (178).

Grade 1 winner Honor A. P., who was retired last month to Lane's End Farm, remains sixth with 120 points followed by multiple Grade 1 winner Gamine (94 points), who is expected to contest the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Max Player takes over sole possession of the eighth spot this week with 77 points, one point ahead of Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (76). Mystic Guide, who was second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, rounds out the top 10 with 67 points.

Multiple Grade 1 winner and likely Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Improbable maintains his lead in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 31 first-place votes and 355 points. Trained by Bob Baffert, Improbable will bring a three-race win streak into the Classic and clocked a seven-furlong work in 1:25 on Oct. 25.

Champion Maximum Security remains behind his stablemate in the poll with 2 first-place votes and 262 points. Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma (1 first-place vote, 217 points) remains third with expected Breeders' Cup Classic contender Tom's d'Etat (2 first-place votes, 213 points) in fourth.

Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, holds in fifth with 197 points followed by multiple graded stakes winner By My Standards (138 points). Authentic (119 points) and Tiz the Law (116) rank seventh and eighth, respectively, with Swiss Skydiver (101) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (67) completing the top 10.

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 both the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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Improbable’s Awesome Again Win Moves Him To The Front In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

A third straight Grade 1 victory has put Improbable in the driver's seat of the handicap ranks heading into the November 7 Breeders' Cup Classic as the son of City Zip takes over the lead in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International, and SF Racing, Improbable moved to the forefront of the race for divisional honors when he captured the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes by 4 ½ lengths on Sept. 26. That victory earned the 4-year-old chestnut colt 28 first-place votes and 354 points in the poll, knocking his stablemate Maximum Security out of the top spot.

Since opening his 2020 campaign with a runner-up finish in the April 11 Oaklawn Mile Stakes, Improbable has reeled off top-level wins in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Whitney, and Awesome Again Stakes.

“Improbable is getting really good,” Baffert told the Santa Anita Park publicity team on Sunday. “He's got a lot of Grade 1s on his resume, he's filled out, matured, and Drayden (Van Dyke) rode a great race, just sat back there early on.”

Champion Maximum Security finished second in the Awesome Again Stakes, halting a six-race win streak. The 4-year-old bay colt dropped to second overall in the poll with 3 first-place votes and 277 points.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma (3 first-place votes, 246 points) is third followed by Tom's d'Etat (2 first-place votes, 228 points) and champion Monomoy Girl (1 first-place vote, 195 points).

Multiple graded stakes winner By My Standards remains sixth with 153 points followed by champion Midnight Bisou (139 points) and Tiz the Law (108). Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (99 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (71) round out the top 10.

Authentic, who is also trained by Baffert, continues to head up the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll ahead of his expected run in the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The son of Into Mischief notched 23 first-place votes and 356 points this week and was installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Preakness.

Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law continues to hold in second with 14 first-place votes and 347 points while Grade 2 winner Art Collector – the 5-2 second choice on the Preakness morning line – remains in third with 269 points.

Kentucky Oaks runner-up and Preakness entrant Swiss Skydiver moves up one spot to fourth with 176 points followed by the recently retired Honor A. P. (162 points) and Thousand Words (149).

Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil sits seventh with 116 points with Preakness entrant Max Player (96 points) in eighth. Grade 1 winner Gamine (90 points) and Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Mr. Big News (62) complete the top 10.

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 both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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No Changes At The Top of NTRA Thoroughbred Racing Polls

A quiet weekend in both the handicap and sophomore ranks resulted in relatively little movement in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll and NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll.

Champion Maximum Security continues to head up the Top Thoroughbred Poll ahead of his expected run in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park on September 26. The 4-year-old son of New Year's Day earned 26 first-place votes and 349 points this week and will bring a six-race win streak into Saturday's Awesome Again.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma remains in second with 9 first-place votes and 272 points followed by fellow top-level victor Tom's d'Etat (3 first-place votes, 240 points) in third.

Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, holds in fourth with 209 points while Grade 1 winner Improbable (193 points) ranks fifth. By My Standards, who captured the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, remains sixth with 159 points followed by champion Midnight Bisou (153 points) and Tiz the Law (134). Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (122 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (85) round out the top 10.

Authentic looms a potential favorite for the October 3 Preakness Stakes on the heels of his gate-to-wire triumph in the 10-furlong classic. The son of Into Mischief garnered 23 first-place votes and 365 points to once again lead the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and recently returned the worktab with a bullet five-furlong breeze at Churchill Downs on September 19.

Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law ranks second with 15 first-place votes and 357 points. The son of Constitution remains under consideration for the Preakness Stakes but has not posted a workout since finishing as the runner-up behind Authentic in the September 5 Kentucky Derby.

Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector is confirmed to be Preakness bound and remains third with 272 points. Grade 1 winner Honor A. P., who was retired to stand stud at Lane's End Farm last week, is fourth with 191 points followed by Kentucky Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver (161 points) and
Thousand Words (146).

Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil sits seventh with 107 points, ahead of beaten Oaks favorite Gamine (90 points). Max Player (83 points) and King Guillermo (74) complete the top 10.

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 both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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