America's Best Horses for Oct. 12

Racing
Happy Saver, shown winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 10, enters NTRA’s latest poll of top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds at No. 5. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)

Each week during the extended Triple Crown season in 2020, members of the media around the country voted on the nation's top contenders in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Find out the final 2020 top 3-year-old rankings below.


AMERICA'S TOP THOROUGHBREDS as of Oct. 12

Coady Photography

1. Authentic (17 first-place votes)

Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Frederick Hertrich III, John Fielding, and Golconda Stables

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: John Velazquez

2020 record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 2nd, Preakness Stakes, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course


Eclipse Sportswire

2. Tiz the Law (8 first-place votes)

Owner: Sackatoga Stable

Trainer: Barclay Tagg

Jockey: Manuel Franco

2020 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 2nd, Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs

Next race: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course


Dom Napolitano/NYRA Photo

3. Swiss Skydiver (12 first-place votes)

Owner: Peter Callahan

Trainer: Kenny McPeek

Jockey: Robby Albarado

2020 record:  9 starts – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 1st, Preakness Stakes, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course

Next race: TBD, possibly the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff or Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course


Coady Photography

4. Art Collector

Owner: Bruce Lunsford

Trainer: Tom Drury Jr. 

Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

2020 record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 4th, Preakness Stakes, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course

Next race: TBD, possibly the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course


Adam Coglianese/NYRA

5. Happy Saver

Owners: Wertheimer et Frere

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2020 record: 4 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 1st, Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Oct. 10 at Belmont Park

Next race: TBD, possibly the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course


Eclipse Sportswire

6. Honor A. P. 

Owner: C R K Stable

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Jockey: Mike Smith

2020 record: 4 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Last race: 4thKentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs

Next race: retired on Sept. 14 due to tendon injury.


Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo

7. Gamine

Owner: Michael Lund Petersen

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: John Velazquez

2020 record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Last race: 3rd, Longines Kentucky Oaks, Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs

Next race: TBD


Coady Photography

8. Shedaresthedevil (tie)

Owners: Flurry Racing Stable, Qatar Racing Ltd. and Big Aut Farms

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Florent Geroux

2020 record: 7 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds

Last race: 3rd, Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, Oct. 4 at Keeneland Race Course

Next race: TBD


Coady Photography

8. Max Player (tie)

Owners: George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Jockey: Paco Lopez

2020 record: 5 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 2 thirds

Last race: 5thPreakness Stakes, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course

Next race: TBD


Adam Coglianese/NYRA

10. Mystic Guide

Owner: Godolphin Racing

Trainer: Michael Stidham

Jockey: John Velazquez

2020 record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds

Last race: 2ndJockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Oct. 10 at Belmont Park

Next race: TBD

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