Division Rankings: Contentious Whitney set for big impact

There are several storylines to sort out as we gear up for a fascinating renewal of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes this weekend at Saratoga

Although only five are entered, the field is high in quality from top to bottom, all five in with a chance to come away victorious in this important race.

Before I dive into what a win would mean for each horse entered, lets take a look at this week's updated Division Rankings:

Older dirt males

1. Silver State. It is very simple, a win in the Whitney this weekend will put him in the drivers seat for the Eclipse. A win will not only put some distance between him and his closest pursuer, he could even afford a loss in the fall and still stay on top. The Met Mile (G1) winner has done far more than any other in this division so far in 2021, and is a winner of four stakes races already this year. He won the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) prior to his win in the Met, and has won his last six races dating back to last fall.

2. Maxfield. The time is now for Maxfield. He will finally face a quality field - something he hasn't done this season - in this weekend's Whitney. Will he be up to the task? Perhaps. But, I wouldn't be surprised to see him either in the winners circle or bring up the rear in this compact field. Last out he got the job done in the Stephen Foster (G2), defeating Warrior's Charge by a little over three lengths. His connections have picked their spots judiciously with this son of Street Sense, and he has rewarded them with three graded-stakes wins this season coming over weak fields. But now we are more than halfway through the season and Maxfield has yet to pocket a Grade 1 win. This is a must win race for the Eclipse.

3. Country Grammer. The Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) winner has been transferred from previous trainer Bob Baffert to his new trainer, Todd Pletcher. He had run two strong races with his rival, Royal Ship, in California. Will likely miss the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury that has flared up. Will point for the 2022 Pegasus at Gulfstream.

4. By My Standards. Runner-up to Silver State in the Met Mile, he is still searching for his first Grade 1 triumph. Won the Oaklawn Mile in his only other start this season. Will likely be the longest shot in the the Whitney, he could spoil the party as he is a viable contender in a race he was runner-up in a year ago. He sits in this spot instead of Knicks Go because he defeated that rival in the Met Mile. A live horse in this Whitney.

5. Mystic Guide. The beaten favorite in the Suburban (G2) last out, Mystic Guide is now on the sidelines and will have surgery to remove a chip in his knee. He is out for the season, and his racing future is in doubt. 

Next 5: Knicks Go, Royal Ship, Max Player, Idol, Express Train.

Older dirt females

1. Letruska. Was dominant again in her win in the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs and has given herself a large lead in this division. A Grade 1 winner in both the U.S. and Mexico, she is 15-for-20 in her career. The Personal Ensign (G1) at the end of August at Saratoga is being mentioned as her next start, but don't rule out a possible race again the males down the road too.

2. Shedaresthedevil. Was sensational in her trip out west to take the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch. The win was important for another reason, it came over the same Del Mar surface that the Breeder's Cup Distaff will be run on in early November. Don't underestimate the importance of that fact. She showed that she can shop across country and win. She is clearly the biggest threat now to Letruska.

3. Monomoy Girl. Was gallant to the finish in the Apple Blossom (G1) last April but came up a nose short. She was sent to the sidelines with muscle strains and hamstring soreness. Could be back later this summer but might drop from this spot in the coming weeks.

4. Swiss Skydiver. Takes on the boys in this weekend's Whitney in what would appear to be a tall order, but I won't underestimate the heart of this filly. She previously scratched from the Ogden Phipps because of a fever, and her last start resulted in a seven-length defeat in the Apple Blossom when finishing third. Before that, she was stellar in her Beholder Mile (G1) win at Santa Anita. Has not lost two races in a row in nearly 18 months, but will be severely tested in this Whitney field. Trying to become the first female to take this race since Personal Ensign in 1988.

5. As Time Goes By. Simply never got untracked in the Hirsch, finishing off the board in fourth place, beaten over 10 lengths. She gets a mulligan based off what she has already accomplished this season, so she stays in this No. 5 spot. Previously she was a game winner of the Santa Maria (G2), and prior to that she routed the Santa Margarita (G2) field. 

Next 5: Envoutante, Antoinette, Venetian Harbor, Point of Honor, Spice is Nice.

3-year-old males

1. Essential Quality. Don't let the margin of victory fool you, he was much the best in last weekend's Jim Dandy. Will go next in the Travers where he will be the prohibitive favorite to add another graded stakes win to his resume. The clear leader of the division right now, and a viable Horse of the Year contender. The Kentucky Derby is his only loss in eight career starts.

2. Hot Rod Charlie. Ran another outstanding race in the Haskell, crossing the wire first. With races at five different tracks this season, this guy has left it all out there every time. He and Essential Quality have been the pillars of this division since last fall.

3. Mandaloun. Ran an impressive race in the Haskell with an inside trip to come just short of Hot Rod Charlie at the wire. The Kentucky Derby runner-up may skip the Travers and train up to the Pennsylvania Derby on September 25. 

4. Medina Spirit. The Kentucky Derby winner is now working regularly and could turn up in a race very soon. The Travers (G1) on Aug. 28 or the Shared Belief for 3-year-olds a day later at Del Mar are possibilities. Last time out he finished third in Rombauer's Preakness, beaten a little over five lengths. 

5. Rombauer. The Preakness winner had no excuses in the Belmont when finishing a far-back third. After edging Known Agenda for the show spot. Connections have decided to give Rombauer a break for at least 60 days, is a longshot to make the Breeders' Cup.

Next 5: Jackie's Warrior, Drain the Clock, Midnight Bourbon, Known Agenda, Life is Good.

3-year-old females

1. Malathaat. No other way to slice it, her loss in the CCA Oaks was not what her connections had envisioned. With only three opponents facing her, she was defeated by the longest shot on the board, Maracuja. Her two Grade 1 wins keep her here for the top spot over Search Results. The Alabama Stakes (G1) should be next in late August.

2. Search Results. Impressive winner of the Acorn, which was her first Grade 1 win. Suffered her only loss, to Malathaat, in the Kentucky Oaks in her prior start, but she was game in defeat. Her connections will cut her back to the seven-furlong Test Stakes (G1) this weekend at Saratoga.

3. Crazy Beautiful. Maturing by leaps and bounds, she ran another impressive race in the recent Delaware Oaks where she simply outclassed the field by over 7 lengths. She was also flattered by Soothsay's Indiana Oaks win as this gal defeated Soothsay in the Summertime Oaks two starts back. Now she is a winner of three graded stakes this year, the most in her division. She may have turned the corner, and it could be time to take another crack at the top two in this division. Remember, she finished over 10 lengths back of Malathaat and Search Results in the Kentucky Oaks. Will probably target the Alabama later this month as her next start.

4. Soothsay. It takes a lot for me to really be floored a performance, but that is the best way I can describe what I felt when watching Soothsay come away victorious after rebounding from a nightmarish start in the Indiana Oaks. Showing tremendous fight and determination in the stretch, Soothsay looked like a different horse than the one we saw last out in her loss to Crazy Beautiful in the Summertime Oaks. The Indiana race was her first race outside of Santa Anita too, any way you slice it, she is now a player in this division with the Breeders' Cup in her backyard too. Another that has matured right before our eyes.

5. Maracuja. Stunned the leader of the division in last weeks Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) for her first stakes win. Previous to that she was seventh in Malathaat's Kentucky Oaks. Not sure what to make of her yet, but have to believe the CCA Oaks was a combination of two things, Maracuja getting better now, and Malathaat not quite the world beater many thought she was.

Next 5: Clairiere, Will's Secret, Obligatory, Zaajel, Army Wife.

Turf males

1. Domestic Spending. Did not make his first start of 2021 until the start of May but has won two Grade 1 events in both of his starts. His facile Manhattan Stakes (G1) win at Belmont was superb, defeating several others ranked below. Domestic Spending’s season will follow the same path as Bricks and Mortar from two seasons ago, trainer Chad Brown said, with the race that used to be called the Arlington Million, the Mister D. Stakes (G1) on Aug. 14 at Arlington, will be the gelding’s next spot.

2. Colonel Liam. Running since December, this guy also has two Grade 1 wins on his resume, but he sports a Grade 2 win in 2021 too. True, he did go down to defeat in the Manhattan, but it was his first loss of 2021. He has been running since January and has won three stakes. 

3. Smooth Like Strait. Tough runner-up loss in the Eddie Read (G2) to United. The Eddie Read is at nine furlongs and this guy excels at a mile, so I won't penalize him that much as he stays here at No. 3. Previously he won the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, where he went wire to wire. Previous to that win he set the pace in the Turf Classic (G1) and was edged by a neck nearing the wire to finish third. Looks like a serious Breeders' Cup Mile contender down the road. 

4. Tribhuvan. Big win in the Grade 1 United Nations, and previous to that he was runner-up to Domestic Spending in the Manhattan. With two graded wins on the season, he is steadily moving up the ranks.

5. Raging Bull. No excuses in his runner-up loss to Oleksandra, a 7-year-old mare making her career finale because she is in foal. Certainly was impressive in his first start this season, a win in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1), and remains in the top five for now. Will aim for the Fourstardave (G1) on August 14 at Saratoga for his next start.

Next 5: Gufo, United, Cross Border, Hit the Road, Channel Maker.

Turf females

1. Althiqa. Her win in the Diana  was her second Grade 1 win on the season as she previously won the Just a Game at Belmont Park. Having also won a Group 2 event overseas, she deserves this top spot right now. The simple facts are this, if the season ended today, she would win the Eclipse in this division.

2. Mean Mary. She hasn't done anything wrong in 2021 but her record just isn't as impressive as Althiqa. She will aim for the Beverly D. at 1 3/16 miles the following at Arlington on August 14. Was really flattered with the win by Thundering Nights in an Ireland Group 1 race. Remember, Thundering Nights was runner-up to Mean Mary last out in the New York Stakes (G2). Previous to that winning race, Mean Mary was best in the Gallorette Stakes (G3) at Pimlico. Will have every chance in the coming weeks to regain the top spot.

3. Thundering Nights. Broke through in a big way in the Pretty Polly Stakes, an Irish Group 1. She is ranked here because previous to that she was a strong runner-up to No. 1 Mean Mary in the New York. Will be a serious contender in any races she chooses here in this country.

4. Blowout. After four straight runner-up finishes, she finally entered the winners circle with her strong win in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs. The Turf Mile was her first start of 2021; she ended 2020 with a runner-up effort in the Matriarch (G1) at Santa Anita. Was scratched from the recent Just a Game (G1) at Belmont Park.

5. Summer Romance. She has finished 3/4 of a length behind Althiqa in two straight Grade 1 events, and that will bump you up in these rankings. She won a Group 2 event earlier this year in Dubai.

Next 5: Santa Barbara, Juliet Foxtrot, Harvey's Lil Goil, Charmaine's Mia, Mucho Unusual.

Male sprinters

1. C Z Rocket. Stays in here on top despite his loss in last weekend's Bing Crosby where he was beaten a neck and a head for the win, finishing third. Didn't run bad, in fact I was encouraged with his race, given that it came without lasix. If the season ended today he would be voted the Eclipse winner of this division.

2. Whitmore. He hasn't won in four starts this season so why is he ranked No. 2? Well, for starters his record thus far this season is better than it was a year ago at this time, his Eclipse Award winning season. Additionally, he is the most reliable in this division outside of C Z Rocket. Came with his run again in last weekend's Vanderbilt, finishing a closing third. He is stakes placed in all four starts this season. Will be dangerous moving forward and come Breeders' Cup time.

3. Flagstaff. The third of the tough older veterans to occupy the top three spots. He fired again in the True North (G2) last out but was only second best. He is at the top of his game now as he scored his first Grade 1 win two starts ago in the Churchill Downs Stakes. 

4. Dr. Schivel. This 3-year-old lands in this spot over Jackie's Warrior for two obvious reasons, his big sprint win last weekend came over older, and was in a Grade 1. Was all heart in the Bing Crosby (G1) defeating several tough veteran sprinters. Has never been off the board in six starts and has two Grade 1 wins in his short career.

5. Jackie's Warrior. Was super impressive over fellow 3-year-olds in a sloppy track Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga, but lets not get carried away. Often times we see aberration type performances on sloppy tracks like we saw in the Amsterdam. This No. 5 ranking is somewhat high given it was his first win in a sprint this season, but I do think he has the potential to maybe compete with older somewhere down the line.

Next 5: Lexitonian, Special Reserve, Firenze Fire, Mind Control, Drain the Clock.

Female sprinters

1. Gamine. Was dominant against an overmatched field in the Great Lady M. Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos last week, and now she will head to Saratoga given that trainer Bob Bafferts NYRA suspension is now lifted. Now 3-for-3 on the season, she should stick to sprinting, and the Ballerina (G1) in late August will  be next. 

2. Bell's the One. Won her second straight in the Honorable Miss (G2) last out and previously she won the Roxelana Stakes when defeating the No. 3, Sconsin. After a disappointing effort when she was off the board in the Derby City Distaff, she has rebounded in a big way to jump back into the Eclipse race in this division.

3. Sconsin. Ran well in the Roxelana but Bell's the One was too good. Has run well now in three straight and is in the thick of things in a division that appears very top heavy. Will make her next start in the Ballerina against Gamine, among others.

4. Kimari. Still hasn't run since the first week of April. Has posted several works since, but this has been the story of her career. Brilliance when running, but she rarely runs, and this will cost her an Eclipse. In that April start she did not disappoint, edging away in the stretch for a 3/4-length win over Bell's the One in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland. 

5. Estilo Talentoso. Disappointed as the favorite in the Princess Rooney (G2) at Gulfstream where she was beaten by Ce Ce after being too far back early. She stays here in this spot because she has done a lot already this season, six starts already - stakes placed in all of them - and has faced the best the division has had to offer several times.

Next 5: Ce Ce, Frank's Rockette, Lake Avenue, Venetian Harbor, Souper Sensational.

The Older Dirt Male division has been somewhat of a puzzle in 2021, and depending on who you polled, any one of several have sat atop the division. In these rankings, Silver State has occupied the top spot for the better part of two months.

For Silver State, a win in this weekend's Whitney would extend his lead in the division. Not only would it extend his lead in this Eclipse race, he could afford a bump in the road prior to the Breeders' Cup. Additionally, were Silver State to win the Whitney and another Grade 1 prior to the Breeders' Cup, he will have likely locked up the Eclipse as far as this voter is concerned, regardless of what happens in the Breeders' Cup. Remember, the entire season matters, and Silver State is a perfect example of that thus far with his stellar record.

The No. 2 ranked Maxfield is still searching for his first Grade 1 win since the age of two, and for Maxfield, the stakes of this weekend's Whitney are high. To be blunt, the Whitney is a must win race for Maxfield if he wants to win an Eclipse. He must grab this Grade 1 win now. Ask yourself this, can Maxfield be a viable Eclipse contender with zero Grade 1 wins in 2021 heading into the Breeders' Cup? The answer is no. Sure, they may be another shot at a Grade 1 this fall, but that is far from a certainty.

Despite his No. 6 ranking, Knicks Go is probably the biggest threat to come away with the hardware in this division by seasons end. Remember, Knicks Go dominated the Grade 1 Pegasus in January, so a win in the Whitney would give him two Grade 1 wins on the season, more than any other horse in this division. If Knicks Go runs his race in the Whitney, everyone else is running for second. Knicks Go is several lengths faster than the others when he is right.

For Knicks Go fans you have to ask yourself, do you trust him enough to win a race like this against this field. Do you buy into the whole one-turn vs two-turn debate surrounding him? For me, I don't buy it. In his Saudi Cup defeat at the same nine furlong distance of the Whitney, he was just outrun. One turn or two turns, it wouldn't have mattered. One could look back at that Pegasus field he defeated in January and really question the quality of it. For me, the jury is still out on Knicks Go at 9 furlongs against a field like this.

Swiss Skydiver will try and pull something off that has never been done before.

In the Eclipse Award era no filly has ever won a Grade 1 route race over males at age three and then come back at age four to do it again. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't bet against Swiss Skydiver here. This field isn't intimidating figure-wise, and she has pulled this off before. Last year's Preakness winner started 2021 off in a high note with a dominant Beholder Mile win, but has run only one time since. We know Swiss Skydiver can handle a fight, see last years Preakness. Can she really defeat this good group of older males without having a race since April?

If she does pull this off it holds the weight of two Grade 1 wins in her division, in my opinion, and would vault her back in the Eclipse race, right behind Letruska.

Last but not least we have the No. 4 ranked By My Standards, my top choice in this race. By My Standards has never won a Grade 1 event, but he did run his best career race last year in the Whitney when runner-up to Improbable. He would obviously need a win here to get into the Eclipse race in this division.

Last time out he was runner-up to Silver State in the Met Mile, coming on in the stretch with his closing kick. 

This is an interesting spot for By My Standards.

The speed of the race, Knicks Go, has some questions to be answered. Swiss Skydiver is coming in off of a long layoff and may not be her best. By My Standards is just as fast as Maxfield who is overvalued in this spot. And Silver State may not be at his best going nine furlongs.

The Whitney will be By My Standards third start of the season, and if he can duplicate his Whitney race from a year ago, I think that may be enough to defeat the four others entered here.