Pennsylvania-bred Real Solution took on all comers to lead the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll, the first one of the year in which three-year-olds and older horses competed against each other in the voting.
Real Solution, with 49 points, was one of three horses clustered in the 40-50 point range, followed by a pair of Maryland-breds, ageless Ben’s Cat (42) and three-year-old The Big Beast (41).
Three more horses, Princess of Sylmar (PA), Valid (VA), and Miss Behaviour (PA), registered between 21 and 26 points. No other horse had more than six points.
Though he has but a single victory this season, Real Solution does have a Grade 1 triumph, in the Manhattan Stakes on Belmont day. He also ran second in another Grade 1 event, the Man o’ War.
Bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Real Solution is a five-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy out of the winning Pulpit mare Reachfortheheavens. He is trained by Chad Brown and has won five of 14 career starts, earning nearly $1.4 million.
Real Solution and The Big Beast led last edition’s older horse and three-year-old polls, respectively.
The first combined list of seven horses included three bred in Pennsylvania, three bred in Maryland, and a Virginia-bred. Two of the seven were females, while the rest were males. Five of the seven were older horses, and two were three-year-olds.
This marked the twelfth edition of the poll.
Horses that have run in 2014 and were bred in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and the Carolinas were eligible.
POLL LEADERS IN ACTION THIS WEEKEND
- Miss Behaviour — Saturday, Charles Town, Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks, 5-2 favorite.
POLL RESULTS
The Big Beast’s King’s Bishop win vaulted him to the head of the class. Photo by NYRA/Lauren King.
TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED HORSES
- Real Solution (49) — Pennsylvania
- Ben’s Cat (42) — Maryland
- The Big Beast (41) — Maryland
- Princess of Sylmar (26) — Pennsylvania
- Valid (24) — Virginia
- Miss Behaviour (21) — Pennsylvania
- Delauanay (6) — Maryland
Others receiving votes: Daring Dancer, Falling Sky, Favorite Tale, Storming Inti, Giovanni Boldini, Miss Besilu
Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Anne Frederick (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Jim Hague (freelance), Nick Hahn (freelance), Jeff Nations (freelance), Kate Painter (West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association), Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), John Scheinman (freelance), Dan Tordjman (freelance), Frank Vespe (The Racing Biz), Bill Watson (freelance), Lydia Williams (freelance), Bobby Zen (freelance).
Note — Not all participating voters will vote in every poll.
(Featured image, of Real Solution, by Dave Alcosser/NYRA.)
