Notable Speech made a massive leap in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

His second consecutive victory in the Woodbine Mile (G1) propelled him from 18th to eighth place in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll; Sovereignty remains at the summit, followed by Knightsbridge, while Forever Young holds down fourth position ahead of the Jockey Club Gold Cup

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— Notable Speech returned from Canada not only with another G1 victory and his ticket stamped for the Breeders’ Cup, but also with a sharp resurgence among the top-rated horses of the American season. His victory last Saturday in the Woodbine Mile (G1) triggered a major shakeup in the latest edition of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

The Godolphin champion vaulted 10 positions, climbing from 18th to eighth place after defending his title in the Canadian mile contest, once again demonstrating just how much he thrives competing in North America.

Trained in England by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, the son of Dubawi ran down Deterministic(Liam's Map)—who had controlled the early pace—in the final strides to secure his second consecutive Woodbine Mile.

The result had a direct impact on the standings: Notable Speech now occupies the eighth spot, sitting just ahead of Deterministic, who slots into ninth.

The victory also guaranteed him an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) on October 31 at Keeneland, a target he knows intimately.

Last season, he completed that exact same double, scoring first at Woodbine before capturing the Breeders’ Cup Mile—a campaign that proved decisive in earning him the Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Male. Now, he will attempt to repeat history.

The Top Thoroughbred Poll is determined by votes from members of the American racing media, aiming to highlight the leading contenders for Horse of the Year honors. The final poll of the season will be published on November 3, immediately following the Breeders’ Cup.

For now, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) retains the top spot. The reigning Horse of the Year continues to lead the rankings despite a hoof abscess ruling him out of this Friday's Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park. Stablemate Knightsbridge (Nyquist) remains second. Both horses carry the Godolphin silks and are conditioned by Bill Mott.

Third position belongs to the mare Nitrogen (Medaglia D'Oro), while Japanese standout Forever Young sits fourth just days ahead of one of the most anticipated starts of the week.

The champion will make his comeback this Friday in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), the marquee event of the card marking the return of racing to the newly renovated Belmont Park. The son of Real Steel has not raced since finishing second behind Magnitude (Not This Time) in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March.

It is Magnitude who completes the top five in the poll. Two trainees from the Cherie DeVaux barn occupy the next positions: Englishman (Maxfield) stands sixth, with Golden Tempo (Curlin) in seventh. Notable Speech, Deterministic, and Splendora (Blame) follow, with the latter rounding out the Top 10.

For Notable Speech, the resurgence represents further validation of a campaign gaining momentum at precisely the right moment.

Just days ago, he sat 18th and far off the leaders. Another brilliant afternoon at Woodbine was all it took to elevate him to eighth and place him firmly back among the central figures of the season. Now Keeneland awaits, along with the opportunity to duplicate a double that made him a champion in 2025.