Up-to-date, Weighted Rankings of the Best American Racehorses

And a List of the Leading American Juvenile Colts and Fillies

A Column by Steve Davidowitz
September 5, 2007

After watching dozens of well-bred, fast-working 2-year-old horses in several dozen races at Saratoga and Del Mar this summer, I've put together my first list of leading American juvenile colts and fillies. In addition, I've updated the 3-year-olds, turf horses, sprinters, milers and older fillies and mares to reflect the performances in each division since mid-July. All horses that make any of these lists for the first time and/or have shown improvement over previous ratings, will appear in italicized form.

Please note that I will post the next update in early October, in time for players to utilize this information in Breeders' Cup Preview stakes the same way many European-based players use TimeForm ratings and/or The Racing Post's international rankings.

To refresh, my rankings are based on the published Beyer Speed Figures in the Daily Racing Form, along with my own interpretative evaluations regarding various pace scenarios, including sheer early speed and/or strong finishing splits, plus points on or off for excessively heavy weight assignments and/or extremely lightweight assignments at the highest class levels.

To put these subjective rankings in perspective, a top Grade 1 horse, such as Ghostzapper, Horse of the Year in 2004, earned a top ranking of 135 after his 2005 Metropolitan Mile victory that followed a 134 for his 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic win at 1 1/4 miles.

Invasor, the retired 2006 Horse of the Year and gritty winner of the 2007 Dubai World Cup, was rated at 133 when he was injured and forced to retire five months ago.

The top 2-year-old Vindication, unbeaten in four starts and winner of the 2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was rated at 126 at the end of his championship campaign and who knows how high he would have climbed had he had a chance to run as a 3-year-old.

Three-year-olds, 1 1/4 miles on dirt (23 rated):

Street Sense (129); Any Given Saturday (129); Rags to Riches, filly (124); Curlin (124); Hard Spun (124); Grasshopper (124); Tiago (120); Lady Joanne, filly (120); Chelokee (119); Nobiz Like Shobiz (119); Timber Reserve (117 ); Scat Daddy, retired (116); Octave, filly (116); Xchanger (116); C P West (114); Zanjero (114); Circular Quay (114); Sightseeing (114); Sam P (113); Lear's Princess, filly (112); Albertus Maximus (111); Delightful Kiss (111); Sedgefield (110).

Notes: Rags to Riches is actually the theoretical co-high weight in my three-year-old rankings at this distance due to her five-pound sex allowance, but she hasn't raced since the Belmont Stakes and has been dealing with minor illnesses and other setbacks. According to trainer Todd Pletcher, she will race sometime in September, with a decision coming soon. . . . When Any Given Saturday won the Haskell at Monmouth Park last month over Hard Spun and Curlin, he looked as if he could have beaten both Street Sense and the newly emerging Grasshopper who ran so well in the Travers on August 25th. . . . Lady Joanne improved steadily to win a prep race over older fillies and mares at Saratoga prior to her scintillating, hard-fought victory in the 1 1/4-mile Alabama Stakes (G1) on August 18th. . . . Nobiz Like Shobiz has won two straight graded stakes on turf for trainer Barclay Tagg. . . . Xchanger followed his win in the $300,000 Barbaro Stakes (G3) at Delaware on July 15th with a strong second-place finish in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on September 3rd. . . . King of the Roxy (off the list) was exposed in the King's Bishop as a colt needing rest. . . . Tiago trained well, but didn't run in the Pacific Classic (G1) on the erratic Polytrack surface at Del Mar and has been absent since winning the $350,000 Swaps Stakes (G2) at Hollywood Park on July 14th. He is expected to surface soon.

Three-year-olds, one mile on dirt (14 rated):

Hard Spun (126); First Defence (122); Teuflesberg (118); E Z Warrior (117); Xchanger (116); Most Distinguished (115); Time To Get Even (115); Stormello (115); Desert Code (114); Albertus Maximus (114); Black Seventeen (114); Souvenir Slew (112); La Traviata, filly (111); Dream Rush, filly (110).

Notes: After a series of route races in top-shelf company, trainer Larry Jones cut Hard Spun back in distance to win the 7-furlong King's Bishop (G1) at Saratoga on August 25th. A brilliant, memorable performance! Hard Spun now rates as this country's best 3-year-old prospect for the Breeders' Cup Mile on dirt, but his connections still say they are pointing him for the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Classic. . . . First Defence, lightly raced and trained aggressively by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, raced with Hard Spun through much of the stretch in the King's Bishop, forcing Hard Spun to dig down deep for his best late surge. The performance established First Defence as an improving colt to be reckoned with at any distance from 6 furlongs to one mile. . . . Teuflesberg was OK fourth in the King's Bishop after several very good performances at different distances and surface conditions. . . . E Z Warrior had a poor trip against older at Del Mar and overcame a poor start for his rallying third in the King's Bishop at Saratoga. . . . Xchanger has handled nine furlongs, but may be at his best going slightly shorter. . . . Most Distinguished won a 6-furlong stakes at Saratoga but failed to threaten in the King's Bishop. . . . La Traviata was a runaway winner of the Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga on the Travers Day card and looked the part of a serious rival for Dream Rush in the sprinting filly division, as well as a long-range possible contender against all but the best male milers. . . . Black Seventeen remains one of the best three-year-old sprinters in America and may soon be tested in the Jerome at one mile at Belmont Park.

Three-year-old fillies, 1 1/8 miles on dirt (10 rated):

Rags to Riches, dropped a point due to inactivity (129); Lady Joanne, looms a challenger to the Belmont Stakes winner when they meet in September or in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on October 27th (127); Octave (123); Lear's Princess (119); Magnificence (120); Boca Grande (119); Moon Catcher (118); Winning Point (118); Cotton Blossom (117); Dream Rush (114).

Notes: See earlier notes on Lady Joanne, impressively managed by trainer Carl Nafzger. . . . Octave has been solid in all starts and was trapped inside when a close third in the Alabama. . . . Lear's Princess was second in the Alabama, but was helped a bit by the trouble encountered by Octave. Still she is on the improve.

Fillies and mares four years old and up, 1 1/8 miles (8 rated):

Nashoba's Key (121); Ginger Peach (120); Miss Shop (118); Unbridled Belle (118); Balance (118); Indian Vale (117); Ermine (116); Take D'Tour (116).

Notes: Ginger Peach and Miss Shop have had good summers while others on this list have either been idle or failed to reproduce their early season top form.

Four-year-olds and up, one mile on the turf (15 rated):

The Tin Man (123); Kip Deville (122); Art Master (121); Wait A While, filly (118); My Typhoon, filly (118); Lady of Venice, filly (117); Therecomesatiger (117); Remarkable News (117); Price Tag, filly (116); Precious Kitten, filly (116); Karen's Caper, filly (116); Showing Up (116); Quite A Bride, filly (115); Woodlander (114); Jet Propulsion (113).

Notes: Art Master turned in a very strong performance to win the $100,000 Poker Handicap (G3) over Woodlander at one mile on the Belmont turf on July 14th. . . . Lady of Venice won the $1 million CashCall Mile on July 6th, with Precious Kitten a respectable second and versatile Price Tag, who needs more distance, checking in third.

Three-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles on the turf (24 rated, including seven 3-year-olds):

After Market (124); Jambalaya (124); The Tin Man (123); Better Talk Now (122); Shakis (121); English Channel (120); Lava Man (120); Sharmdinan, 3-yr-old (117); Grand Couterier (117); Red Giant, 3-yr-old (117); Nobiz Like Shobiz, 3-yr-old (117); Medici Code, 3-yr-old (116); Admiralofthefleet, 3-yr-old (116); Sunriver (115); Doctor Dino (115); Cosmonaut (115); Einstein (115); Sky Conqueror (115); Stream Cat, 3-yr-old (114); Mission Approved, 3-yr-old, (114) Obrigado (113); Wait A While, filly (113); Stormin Away (112); Honey Ryder, filly (112).

Notes: This division is very weak this year and ripe for the taking in the Breeders' Cup Turf by good European invaders. . . . English Channel was upset at very low odds by lightly regarded Grand Couterier in the Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga on August 12th. . . . After Market was scratched from the Arlington Million when the course was too soft for trainer John Sherrifs, then won a Del Mar stakes two weeks later. . . . Sunriver ran well for nine furlongs in the Arlington Million but faded late to dead heat for fourth with Stream Cat, behind the European Doctor Dino. . . . The 3-year-olds on the list have been progressing well and may prove to be better than the older horses by Breeders' Cup day. (Please check August 15th column in the archives for my Arlington Million Day stakes reviews.)

Milers on the turf (first ratings of 2007; 8 rated, including two 3-year-olds):

Crossing The Line (127); Shakis (122); Remarkable News (119); My Typhoon, mare (117); Wait A While, mare (117); Nobiz Like Shobiz, 3-yr-old (115); Icy Atlantic (114); Twilight Meteor, 3-yr-old (113).

Notes: Crossing the Line was an awesome, fast finishing winner of the $400,000 Del Mar Mile (G2) on August 19th. Yet his connections are balking at running him in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile, because he will only be made eligible with payment of a $400,000 late nomination fee.

Three-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs (18 rated):

Hard Spun, 3-yr-old (127); First Defence, 3-yr-old (126); Smokey Stover (125); Fabulous Strike (123); Greg's Gold (122); Surf Cat (120); Songster (120); Kelly's Landing (119); Mach Ride (119); Dream Rush, 3-yr-old filly (118); La Traviata, 3-yr-old filly (117); Bordonaro (116); Thor's Echo (115); Will He Shine (114); Bilo (114); Suave Jazz (113); Siren Lure (113); Battle Won (112).

Notes: The 3-year-olds are entitled to a three-pound concession against their elders at 6 furlongs in the fall. That makes Hard Spun a theoretical 130 rating at this distance in a race against older rivals. On my rating scale a 3-year-old filly gets three pounds against male 3-year-olds and seven pounds against older males at this distance. That makes Dream Rush's theoretical rating against older horses 125, and it set her at 121 against other 3-year-olds such as Hard Spun. . . . Greg's Gold was a solid winner over Surf Cat in the 7-furlong Pat O'Brien on the Pacific Classic card on August 19th. . . . All the horses at 114 and lower must return to top form in their next outings to remain on this list.

Three-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles on dirt (30 rated, including eleven 3-year-olds incorporated into this division for the first time):

Reminder: Three-year-olds are entitled to a five-pound weight concession on my scale against older rivals at this distance in the fall and 3-year-old fillies are entitled to seven pounds.

Invasor, retired (133); Lawyer Ron (129); Street Sense, 3-yr-old (126); Any Given Saturday, 3-yr-old (126); Discreet Cat, absent several months (125); Pyramid Tap, training in Saudi Arabia (122); Curlin, 3-yr-old (122); Grasshopper, 3-yr-old (121); Rags to Riches, 3-yr-old filly (119); Hard Spun, 3-yr-old (119); Diamond Stripes (119); Lava Man (118); Sun King (117); Tiago, 3-yr-old (117); Lady Joanne, 3-yr-old filly (115); Flashy Bull (115); Fairbanks (115); Chelokee, 3-yr-old (115); Nobiz Like Shobiz, 3-yr-old (115); Surf Cat (114); Master Command (114); Political Force (114); Corinthian (114); Magna Graduate (114); Wanderin Boy (114); Octave, 3-yr-old filly (113); Molengao (113); Boboman (112); Brass Hat (111); Bob and John (111).

Notes: The handicap division is no longer wide open with the vastly improved and much smoother Lawyer Ron clearly atop the division. In fact, he has looked good enough to pose a serious threat to the excellent group of 3-year-olds heading for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Two-year-olds:

No weighted ratings assigned until the next round of stakes for 2-year-olds at Belmont Park and Turfway Park in mid-September. But the following 14 juvenile fillies and 24 juvenile males are all promising stakes prospects and/or stakes performers.

Juvenile fillies (15 listed):

Irish Smoke; A To The Croft; Rated Fiesty; More Happy; J Z Warrior; Subtle Aly; Secret Gypsy; Tasha's Miracle; Set Play; Izarra; J Z Warrior; Topper Shopper; Silk Ridge; Calico Bay; Bond Princess.

Notes: Irish Smoke won the 7-furlong Spinaway (G1) with comfortable ease at Saratoga on Sunday, September 2nd. A to the Croft was second. Irish Smoke is potentially distance limited, may get up 1 1/16 miles, but not a step further. . . . More Happy, a fast filly for sure, won the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondak (G2) in mid-August but couldn't get the 7 furlongs of the Spinaway. Needs cautious handling by Bob Baffert to advance. . . . Rated Fiesty had a very fast debut at Saratoga, as did Secret Gypsy. . . . Set Play upset the Del Mar Debutante after losing the Sorrento at Del Mar early in the meet to Tasha's Miracle, who was scratched out of the Debutante. . . . Izarra closed well for third and should improve going longer for Ron McAnally. . . . J Z Warrior made a strong positive impression in her Saratoga maiden win for Hall of Famer Billy Mott, who has more high-class 2-year-olds to work with in 2007 than any prior season. . . . Topper Shopper won the 6-furlong $100,000 I'm Smokin Stakes at Del Mar on September 3rd as if she can run with better. . . . Subtle Aly has already won stakes in the mid-west and California for Steve Asmussen. . . . Silk Ridge, Calico Bay and Bond Princess ran well in the 7-furlong $150,000 Susan's Girl Stakes at Calder on September 1st.

Juvenile colts and geldings (30 listed):

Majestic Warrior; Ready's Image; Kodiak Kowboy; Prussian; Maimonides; Wise Answer; Lantana Mob; Sargent Seattle; Wicked Style; Riley Tucker; The Leopard; Georgie Boy; Whatever Whenever; Sky Cape; Dixie Chatter; Leonides; Kanan Dume; Drill Down; Overextended; The Roundhouse; Gold Coyote; Salute the Sarge; E Z Gentleman;, Georgie Boy; Tale of Ekati; Georgetown; Isabul; J Be K; King's Silver Son; Arizona.

Notes: Majestic Warrior, trained by Billy Mott and bred to kill at classic distances, took advantage of a speed duel to upset the 7-furlong Hopeful Stakes (G1) going away on September 3rd. . . . Prussian was a most impressive winner on the grass for Mott in her career debut at Saratoga. . . . Ready's Image had won four straight before he was cooked chasing Maimonides in the Hopeful. . . . Maimonides is very fast, but like Baffert's filly More Happy, he will need careful handling to hold his form beyond sprint distances. . . . Wise Answer earned a very high Beyer Speed Figure winning the 7-furlong Affirmed Stakes at Calder on September 1st. . . . Sargent Seattle made a positive impression when he graduated in fast time early in the Saratoga meet, but has been on the sidelines for a few weeks. . . . Lantana Mob earned a good Beyer Speed Figure winning the 6-furlong Sapling Stakes at Monmouth on September 2nd. . . . Wicked Style and Riley Tucker were a good 1-2 punch in the Arlington Washington Futurity (G2) on September 1st. . . . Gold Coyote graduated in very fast time at Lone Star Park. . . . Salute the Sarge entered the Del Mar Futurity on Wednesday, September 5th undefeated in three career outings, including two stakes. . . . Georgie Boy, Whatever Whenever, Sky Cape, Dixie Chatter and Leonides entered the same 7-furlong stakes at Del Mar with prior good form in summer stakes. . . . Kanan Dume, Drill Down, EZ Gentleman and Good Man Dan also were set to compete in the Del Mar Futurity with good maiden wins. . . . Overextended may still be a maiden but he has made impressive, premature moves and fits with the best Del Mar Futurity horses. . . . The Leopard, The Roundhouse, Georgie Boy, Tale of Ekati and Georgetown have shown promise for good trainers. . . . J Be K graduated at Saratoga in sizzling style for Baffert last weekend. . . . Isabul, King's Silver Son and Arizona ran very well in a one-mile maiden race at Arlington and will bear watching.

Steve Davidowitz has written two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing---Betting Thoroughbreds and The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing. He also is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus and his columns appear in the Bodog Racebook each week.