America's Best Horses for Oct. 5

Racing
Swiss Skydiver (right) defeated Authentic in the Preakness Stakes, but Authentic retained the top spot in NTRA’s 3-year-old Thoroughbred rankings poll on Oct. 5. (Eclipse Sportswire)

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 top 3-year-old rankings below.


AMERICA'S TOP THOROUGHBREDS as of Oct. 5

Eclipse Sportswire

1. Authentic (18 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 (14 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


Eclipse Sportswire

3. Swiss Skydiver (11 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


Eclipse Sportswire

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


Coady Photography

5. 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.


Adam Coglianese/NYRA

6. 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

7. Shedaresthedevil

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


Eclipse Sportswire

8. Max Player

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


Eclipse Sportswire

9. Thousand Words

Owners: Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Florent Geroux

2020 record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Last race: 8thPreakness Stakes, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course

Next race: TBD


10. Jesus' Team

Owner: Grupo Seven C Stable

Trainer: Jose D'Angelo

Jockey: Jevian Toledo

2020 record: 8 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds

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

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

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