St. George Stable’s 5-year-old mare Letruska is in second place with six first-place votes and 312 points. Letruska has won five races this year for trainer Fausto Gutierrez, including the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. Godolphin’s 3-year-old Essential Quality, who won the Runhappy Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 28, remained in third place with 10 first-place votes and 304 points. Also trained by Cox, Essential Quality was last year’s Eclipse Award winner as Champion Two-Year-Old Male.

Michael Lund Petersen’s 4-year-old filly Gamine, winner of the Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 28, remained in fourth place for the third consecutive week with 164 points. 

Godolphin’s 4-year-old Maxfield, winner of the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs and second in the Whitney, is in fifth place with 152 points.

Rounding out the top 10 are George Hall’s Max Player (132 points), Klaravich Stable’s Domestic Spending (114), Kirk and Judy Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior (106), Shadwell Stable’s Malathaat (90) and Winchell Thoroughbred’s and Willis Horton Racing’s Silver State (55).

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 Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.