Knicks Go First in NTRA Poll Following Whitney Victory

Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go , dominant winner of the Aug. 7 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, jumped from sixth place to the No. 1 position in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go received 29 first-place votes and 374 points. The Maryland-bred son of Paynter   who also won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) 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. Also trained by Cox, Essential Quality , who captured the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) 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 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs.

Following his defeat in the Whitney, Maxfield , trained by Brendan Walsh, dropped from second place to fifth place with 250 points. 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 Derby City Distaff Stakes Presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery (G1).

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 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), and winner of the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), is in eighth place with 65 points. Trained by Doug O' Neill, Hot Rod Charlie , remained in ninth place with 56 points. Godolphin's 4-year-old Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) winner Mystic Guide , also sidelined due to injury, is in 10th place with 52 points.

NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Rank, Horse, Points (first-place votes)

1. Knicks Go    374 (29)

2. Letruska    326 (7)

3. Essential Quality    269 (1)

4. Domestic Spending    251 (2)

5. Maxfield    250

6. Silver State    148

7. Gamine    92

8. Mandaloun    65

9. Hot Rod Charlie    56

10. Mystic Guide    52