From a National Thoroughbred Racing Association release

American Pharoah who became America’s 12th Triple Crown winner after breaking a thirty-seven year drought on June 6 at Belmont Park remains the unanimous leader in the latest NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, results of which were released today. The Pioneerof the Nile colt received (41) first-place votes for (410) points after romping to victory in Sunday’s Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Making a huge leap from 44th to tenth with (76) points in the top-ten is 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red, who won the G. II Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on August 1.

The brilliant two-time Eclipse Award-winning (2013 & 2014) mare Beholder moved up two notches to fourth with 235 points after her easy win in the G. 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar.

The remaining top-ten showed some slight changes but not with Honor Code, who remains in second with (316), and Eclipse Award champion Shared Belief (252) holding onto third. Shared Belief has not raced since April 18 when he did not finish in the G. II Charles Town Classic Stakes. The Candy Ride colt is currently in light training.

The 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome (74) dropped out of the top-ten to eleventh. The dual Classic winner will likely be sidelined for the rest of the year due to a bruised cannon bone. California Chrome had been working towards running in the G. I Arlington Million on Aug. 15.

Rounding out the top ten are Noble Bird (179 points), Lady Eli (124), Private Zone (93), Lea (84), and Tonalist (83).

Eligible media cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.  The Top Thoroughbred Poll is conducted weekly through the Monday, November 2 following the Breeders’ Cup World Championships which will be held at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Ky., October 29 and 30.

The NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll concluded after the Belmont Stakes.

 


[su_box title=”NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL” style=”glass”]
  1. American Pharoah
  2. Honor Code
  3. Shared Belief
  4. Beholder
  5. Noble Bird
  6. Lady Eli
  7. Private Zone
  8. Lea
  9. Tonalist
  10. Texas Red
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Note: The Racing Biz writers Nick Hahn and Frank Vespe are voters in this poll.