NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll steady as horses near next starts

From a National Thoroughbred Racing Association release

Leading Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Accelerate retained the top spot in the NTRA Top 10 Thoroughbred Poll for the fourth consecutive week as virtually all of the leading U.S.-based horses train toward their final starts in advance of the Nov. 2-3 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Hronis Racing, Accelerate received nine first place votes and 380 total points in this week’s Top 10 poll. The 5-year-old is expected to make his next start in the September 29 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita. A multiple Grade 1 winner this year on the west coast, Accelerate was made the 3-1 favorite in recently closed future wagering on the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Triple Crown hero Justify, who was retired earlier this summer, remained in second-place in the Top 10 poll with 30 first place votes and 354 points.

Ralph and Lauren Evans Grade I Whitney winner Diversify received the other two first place votes and ranked third in this week’s Top 10 poll with 298 points. Diversify is expected to make his next start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 29 at Belmont Park. Rounding out the top five were a pair of Grade 1-winning fillies: 3-year-old Monomoy Girl (263 points) and the Champion 4-year-old Abel Tasman (211 points).

Two versatile Grade 1 winners on turf and dirt, Belmont Derby and Travers Stakes winner Catholic Boy (162 points) and Old Forrester Turf Classic and Woodward Stakes winner Yoshida (143 points), ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, in this week’s Top 10 poll. Both are being pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Sistercharlie (96 points) ranked eighth in the Top 10 poll and was followed by in the voting by Catalina Cruiser (85 points) and Mind Your Biscuits (82 points), who flipped-flopped positions from last week to again round out this week’s top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll is the sport’s most comprehensive survey of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, which continues until November 5, after the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.