Poll topper Stellar Wind broke her maiden at Laurel Park. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
A pair of Grade 1 winners lead the latest Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll for older horses and for three-year-olds.
Among three-year-olds, Virginia-bred Stellar Wind, despite a defeat in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, remained the unanimous choice of voters.
Among older horses, meanwhile, Pennsylvania-bred Dame Dorothy zoomed to the top spot on the strength of her win in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard. It was her second try of the season in Grade 1 company, following a runner-up effort in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita.
Dame Dorothy was bred in Pennsylvania by Derry Meeting Farm. She is a daughter of Bernardini out of the winning Woodman mare Vole Vole Monamour. She was purchased as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, her current owner, for $390,000.
Dame Dorothy is trained by Todd Pletcher and has compiled a record of six wins, a second, and a third from eight career starts. She has earned $619,740. She displaced another Pennsylvania-bred, Page McKenney, most recently second in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special, atop the list. Popular Maryland-bred Ben’s Cat made inroads after winning the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on Black-Eyed Susan day but just missed making the top five.
Among the sophomore set, a disappointing fourth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, after a troubled trip, did not dull voters’ enthusiasm for Stellar Wind, who was again the voters’ unanimous choice.
Stellar Wind, a Virginia-bred, was joined by one of the more intriguing new names on the list. Mr. Owen, another horse bred in Pennsylvania by Derry Meeting Farm, jumped up from nowhere at all to be third on the list after finishing third in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, at Longchamp. It was Mr. Owen’s second start of the year. A son of Invincible Spirt out of the graded stakes winning Theatrical mare Mrs. Lindsay, Mr. Owen fetched $95,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Pennsylvania-breds dominated the two lists, taking six of the 10 spots, including the top three among older horses. Virginia-breds accounted for three of the runners, and a single Maryland-bred rounded out the two sets of five horses. Six of the top 10 are males, while four are females.
The list is restricted to horses that have run in 2015 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.
POLL RESULTS
Stellar Wind once again took every first-place vote among three-year-olds. Photo courtesy of Santa Anita Park.
TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED OLDER HORSES
- Dame Dorothy (70) — Pennsylvania
- Page McKenney (64) — Pennsylvania
- Kitten’s Point (40) — Pennsylvania
- Long On Value (22) — Virginia
- Valid (12) — Virginia
Others receiving votes: Ben’s Cat, Awesome Flower, Green Gratto, Eddy Gourmet
TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED THREE-YEAR-OLDS
- Stellar Wind (80) — Virginia
- She’s a Big Winner (46) — Pennsylvania
- Mr. Owen (39)– Pennsylvania
- Nasa (27) — Pennsylvania
- Bridget’s Big Luvy (26) — Maryland
Others receiving votes: Get the Sensation, Hear the Chatter, Saham, Noteworthy Peach, Charitable Annuity
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), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), 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), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders 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.
UPCOMING STARTS
- Valid — 5/23/15, Majestic Light Stakes, Monmouth Park, 7-2 morning line
- Bridget’s Big Luvy — 5/23/15, Paradise Cove Stakes, Belmont Park, 4-1 morning line
