Essential Quality Retains Top Spot in NTRA Three-Year-Old Poll One Month Before Kentucky Derby

NTRA Communications —-

ESSENTIAL QUALITY RETAINS TOP SPOT IN NTRA THREE-YEAR-OLD POLL ONE MONTH BEFORE KENTUCKY DERBY

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 5, 2021) – Undefeated Essential Quality, fresh off a determined victory in the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 3, maintained the top spot in this week’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Brad Cox and bred and owned by Godolphin LLC, Essential Quality ran his record to five for five in the Blue Grass. The Eclipse Award-winning two-year-old male of 2020, Essential Quality received 31 first-place votes and 371 points in this week’s poll. He is expected to make his next start in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on May 1. Concert Tour, winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, remained in second place for the second consecutive week with five first place votes and 319 points. Concert Tour, bred and owned by Gary and Mary West and trained by Bob Baffert, is expected to be favored in this Saturday’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Hot Rod Charlie, winner of the Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on March 20, was third in the poll with one first place vote and 239 points.

Rock Your World, frontrunning winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in California at odds of 5-1, moved up to fourth in the NTRA poll with 238 points. Rock Your World, who was bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah, was making his first start on the dirt following two victories on the turf. Rock Your World is owned by Hronis Racing of brothers Kosta and Pete Hronis and Michael Talla’s Talla Racing. St. Elias Stable’s Known Agenda, winner of the Curlin Florida Derby on March 27, rounded out the top five in this week’s poll with 233 points.

Greatest Honour, beaten favorite in the Florida Derby, was sixth in this week’s poll with 160 points. Klaravich Stables Inc.’s Highly Motivated, a game second behind Essential Quality in the Blue Grass, was seventh in this week’s poll with 151 points. Medina Spirit, beaten favorite in the Santa Anita Derby, was eighth in the poll with 96 points. Life is Good, who is sidelined with an injury and will miss the Triple Crown, was ninth with 69 points, followed by Midnight Bourbon with 35 points.

A Godolphin homebred, Mystic Guide, also retained the top spot in this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, which saw no change to the top seven placings. Mystic Guide, winner of the Dubai World Cup, remained in the top spot with 24 first place votes and 346 points. Charlatan was second in the voting with seven first-place votes and 320 points. Two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (six first-place votes, 306 points) remained in third place, followed by Eclipse Champion filly Swiss Skydiver (1 first-place vote, 248 points) and Knicks Go (225 points).

Grade 1 winner Colonel Liam remained in sixth place with 188 points and Idol remained in seventh place with 113 points. The lone change in the top 10 saw Eclipse Champion Gamine jump from 10th to eighth place with 93 points. Maxfield (57 points) and Shedaresthedevil (37 points) rounded out the top 10.

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 Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through November 6.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at:

https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-april-5-2021/

Full accounting of top 10 votes by voter can be found at:

https://mk0ntrauj6jy9vera.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Polls-week8-by_voter-2021.pdf

Cover Photo: Essential Quality; Oaklawn Photo