Sovereignty Holds Strong Atop NTRA Thoroughbred Poll

With just over two weeks to go until the 43rd Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Oct. 30-31, there continues to be very little change among the leaderboard of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll. The poll, which is voted on weekly by members of the national media, represents horses competing for Horse of the Year honors, and the poll still says that its the reigning Horse of the Year's title to lose. Sovereignty remains in the No. 1 spot, which he has held since his Aug. 8 victory in the Whitney Stakes (G1). The dual classic winner received 12 first-place votes from the 26 members who voted this week, but holds a slim lead over Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Forever Young (JPN). Seeking to become just the second horse to win a second Breeders' Cup Classic, Forever Young received 10 first-place votes and is only six points behind Sovereignty in the poll, the Godolphin homebred holding a 229-223 lead. Other first-place vote receivers are Pacific Classic (G1) winner Knightsbridge and Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) winner Magnitude, who received two each. They are ranked third and fifth, respectively, in the poll, split by Nitrogen in fourth. The only change to the top 10 was Notable Speech (GB) taking back the eighth spot from Deterministic, who had flipped with him last week. That change is likely due to one more voter filling out the poll this week compared to the previous poll. See the full Week 38 Rankings