Sovereignty continues his firm hold on the top spot among North America's elite thoroughbreds

The 2025 Horse of the Year once again comfortably topped the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, trailed by his stablemate Knightsbridge. Forever Young climbed to fifth position, while Leading Change broke into the top ten

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— Sovereignty (Into Mischief) keeps his privileged position atop the American racing hierarchy firmly intact. As news is awaited regarding his physical status and the potential for a starting appearance in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), the champion once again thoroughly dominated the latest edition of the Top Thoroughbred Poll published weekly by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA).

Winner of the Whitney Stakes (G1) on August 8, the Godolphin homebred captured 23 of 31 first-place votes to tally 296 points, maintaining a 45-point cushion over his stablemate Knightsbridge (Nyquist).

Both are conditioned by Bill Mott and are enjoying spectacular campaigns. Knightsbridge arrives off one of the summer’s most dominant displays, scoring by 6 1/4 lengths in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, a performance that definitively cemented his rank among the nation’s premier older horses.

Meanwhile, the situation surrounding Sovereignty is being closely monitored after he developed a hind foot abscess, a setback that forced him to miss a scheduled workout. His participation in the Jockey Club Gold Cup—slated for September 18 to mark the long-awaited reopening of Belmont Park—remains shrouded in uncertainty.

No changes occurred in the next two spots. Nitrogen (Medaglia D'Oro) remains third, while Magnitude (Not This Time), victor this season in both the Dubai World Cup (G1) and the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), holds firm in fourth.

The first movement occurred immediately below, with Forever Young (Real Steel) climbing from sixth to fifth, swapping places with Deterministic.

The Japanese champion is already on the ground in New York and is targeting the Jockey Club Gold Cup, where he could clash with Sovereignty in one of the year’s most anticipated matchups. His ultimate objective remains defending his crown in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on October 31 at Keeneland.

Englishman, meanwhile, retained seventh position following his brilliant victory in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), proving his status as one of the fastest sophomores of the season.

The most notable shifts took place near the bottom of the Top 10.

Golden Tempo (Curlin), victor earlier this term in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1), moved from ninth to eighth. The colt came off a third-place finish in the Travers Stakes (G1), where he surrendered his undefeated record to Leading Change (Gun Runner).

Indeed, Leading Change made one of the largest leaps in this week's poll. Ranked twelfth seven days ago, the Travershero surged up to ninth, demonstrating the massive impact of his breakthrough triumph at Saratoga.

Surrendering ground was Burnham Square (Liam's Map). Ranked eighth last week, he dropped into a tie for tenth alongside Splendora (Blame) after finishing seventh in the Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs. Trainer Ian Wilkes and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. attributed that subpar effort to the oppressive heat.

Also falling out of the Top 10 was reigning Champion Sprinter Book’em Danno (Bucchero), who slid to twelfth following news that he will miss the upcoming Breeders’ Cup. With the fall showcase events fast approaching, the competitive picture is taking shape: Forever Young has arrived in the United States, Leading Change has barged into the top ten, and Knightsbridge continues to gain respect.

For now, though, Sovereignty remains the undisputed benchmark. The champion holds a commanding lead in the polls and looks to overcome his minor setback to prove once more on the racetrack why he continues to look down on the rest from the very top.