Gun Runner unanimous choice in final NTRA poll
Gun Runner dazzled in winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Photo by Ting Shen/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup.
From a National Thoroughbred Racing Association release
With the conclusion of the running of the 34th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar on Nov. 3 & 4 and Horse of the Year on the line, the final votes have been tabulated in week 41 of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, which was released Monday afternoon.
No surprise: Gun Runner, who took over first place on the NTRA Poll from Arrogate 11 weeks ago, was the unanimous choice of voters for the top spot after winning the $6 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and owners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm. The Candy Ride colt received all 40 first-place votes and thus 400 points.
Moving up the rank to second from third is Collected (322), who finished second to Gun Runner in the Classic for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Forever Unbridled (265) joins the ranks in third position for trainer Dallas Stewart and owner Charles Fipke, with Breeders’ Cup Mile winner World Approval (243) taking fourth for Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse.
Taking fifth and sixth place, respectively, are West Coast (219), who finished third in the Classic, and his stablemate, Arrogate (205), the leading earner in North American racing history, who dead-heated for fifth in the Classic. Both are trained by Bob Baffert.
The full list:
- Gun Runner (40 first place votes; 400)
- Collected (322)
- Forever Unbridled (265)
- World Approval (243)
- West Coast (219)
- Arrogate (205)
- Beach Patrol (198)
- Abel Tasman (97)
- Roy H (95)
- Lady Eli (63).
