Domestic Spending, Mandaloun rise in top Thoroughbred poll
For the third consecutive week, St. George Stable’s 5-year-old mare Letruska has been voted No. 1 in the NTRA top Thoroughbred poll, while Klaravich Stables’ 4-year-old gelding Domestic Spending has risen to third place.
Letruska, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, has Grade 1 victories in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park and in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. She also won her most recent race, the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs. A daughter of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Letruska has 13 first-place votes and 280 points.
Godolphin’s 4-year-old Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, holds onto second place with five first-place votes and 246 points. Maxfield has won three of four starts this year, including a commanding victory in the June 26 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. Maxfield’s only career defeat in eight starts was a third-place finish in this year’s Santa Anita Handicap (G1).
Domestic Spending, trained by Chad Brown, entered the NTRA top Thoroughbred poll at No. 10 on May 3 after finishing in a dead heat for first with Colonel Liam in the Turf Classic (G1). Since then, Domestic Spending has steadily climbed in the rankings, helped largely by his 2 ¾-length victory in the Manhattan Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on June 5.
Domestic Spending moved from fourth to third place this week, earning six first-place votes and 216 points. Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing’s 4-year-old Silver State has won all four of his starts this year, including a last-out victory in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 5 at Belmont. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State rose from fifth to fourth place with three first-place votes and 207 points.
Godolphin’s 3-year-old Essential Quality, who won the Belmont Stakes, improved from sixth to fifth place. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality, who also captured the Blue Grass Stakes (G2), has three first-place votes and 181 points.
Korea Racing Authority’s Knicks Go, also trained by Cox, won the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) on July 2 by 10 ½ lengths. Also victorious in Gulfstream Park’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January, Knicks go is in sixth place with 122 points.
Godolphin’s 4-year-old Mystic Guide, winner of the Dubai World Cup (G1) and second in the Suburban (G2) at Belmont, slipped from third to seventh place this week. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received two first-place votes and 102 points.
Michael Lund Petersen’s 4-year-old Gamine, the 2020 champion female sprinter, has won all three of her starts this year, including the Derby City Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gamine has 81 points.
Moving from 18th to ninth place this week is Juddmonte’s 3-year-old Mandaloun. The third runner in the top 10 trained by Cox, Mandaloun was moved up from second to first place in the Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park on Saturday following the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie. Mandaloun, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby, has 47 points.
Rounding out the top 10 is another Chad Brown-trained turf star, the 4-year-old filly Althiqa (GB). Owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, Althiqa captured her second Grade 1 this year on Saturday when she took the Diana Stakes at Saratoga. Althiqa, who has 45 points, also won the Just a Game on June 5 at Belmont.
NTRA top Thoroughbred poll
| HORSE | A-S | STATS | POINTS | PVS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LETRUSKA (13) | 5-M | 5-4-1-0 | 280 | 1 |
| 2 | MAXFIELD (5) | 4-C | 4-3-0-1 | 246 | 2 |
| 3 | DOMESTIC SPENDING (6) | 4-G | 2-2-0-0 | 216 | 4 |
| 4 | SILVER STATE (3) | 4-C | 4-4-0-0 | 207 | 5 |
| 5 | ESSENTIAL QUALITY (3) | 3-C | 4-3-0-0 | 181 | 6 |
| 6 | KNICKS GO | 5-H | 4-2-0-0 | 122 | 7 |
| 7 | MYSTIC GUIDE (2) | 4-C | 3-2-1-0 | 102 | 3 |
| 8 | GAMINE | 4-F | 3-3-0-0 | 81 | 8 |
| 9 | MANDALOUN | 3-C | 6-3-1-1 | 47 | 18 |
| 10 | ALTHIQA | 4-F | 4-3-0-1 | 45 | 36 |