Prince Lucky reigns in Top Midlantic-bred Poll

by Press Release | Oct 24, 2019 | Breaking, Breeding, Regionwide, Top Stories

Prince Lucky wins the G2 Gulfstream Park Mile. Photo by Lauren King.

The latest Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll is out — votes were actually cast prior to Maryland Million — and here are the facts and figs. Notably, this is the first of the season’s polls in which three-year-olds and older horses are considered together.

New name at the top: Prince Lucky (PA) has taken over the top spot. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Corinthian has won two graded stakes this year, and his runner-up effort in the G2 Kelso last time out says he still has some gas in the 2019 tank. He is entered in the G3 Bold Ruler Saturday at Belmont…
3 is the loneliest number: There’s only one 3-year-old among the top seven. That’s Horologist, who won the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks over the summer and then was third in the G1 Cotillion. But she was ninth in the G2 Raven Run at Keeneland last Saturday, which won’t likely help her when the next poll comes out…
Almost heaven: For quite possibly the first time in the poll’s history, the state with the largest number of representatives in the poll is West Virginia. The Mountain State was the birthplace of third-place Runnin’toluvya, fourth-place Late Night Pow Wow, and seventh-place Anna’s Bandit.
Doing it the hard way: While many of the horses above her on the list have graded stakes wins or placings to bolster their cause, Anna’s Bandit has never tried graded company in her 31-race career. What she has done, however, is establish herself as a dominant player among the local distaff set. She has six stakes wins this season alone, including four straight, and her last two — the WVBC Cavada and Maryland Million Distaff — came within a week of each other…
Fibrous: Only one sire has two of his progeny on the list. That’s West Virginia uber-sire Fiber Sonde, who fathered both Runnin’toluvya and Late Night Pow Wow…
No luck: Maryland-bred Cordmaker has won two straight and his five wins this year include three in stakes company. But the Rodney Jenkins trainee did not draw into the Maryland Million Classic, which closed when a sufficient number of Maryland-sired horses (which, as a son of Curlin, he is not) entered…

Of the seven horses in the poll, three were bred in West Virginia. Two were bred in New Jersey, and Maryland and Pennsylvania contributed one each. Four of the top seven are females, and three are males.

The monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred is the only publication devoted to Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Racing Biz, an online publication, is the independent voice for mid-Atlantic racing and breeding.

The poll is conducted of media members and others involved in the Thoroughbred industry and restricted to horses that have run in 2019 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.

Top Horses - All

Prince Lucky (PA) — 4yo gelding by Corinthian-Lucky Notion, by Great Notion; bred in Pennsylvania by Daniel McConnell, Sr.; trained by Todd Pletcher for Daniel McConnell; won G2 Gulfstream Park Mile, G3 Hal’s Hope S., 2nd G2 Kelso
Valedictorian (NJ) — 5yo mare by Temple City-Smart N Classy, by Smart Strike; bred in New Jersey by John Bowers, Jr.; trained by Kelly Breen for Epic Racing; won G3 Suwanee River S., G3 Eatontown S., Sand Springs S., 2nd in G3 Honey Fox S., 3rd in G3 Marshua’s River S., G3 Noble Damsel S.
Runnin’toluvya (WV) — 5yo gelding by Fiber Sonde-Lov’emnrun, by Not for Love; bred in West Virginia by Leslie G. Cromer; trained by Tim Grams for Grams Racing Stable LLC; 2019 accomplishments: won G2 Charles Town Classic, Russell Road Overnight Prep S.
Late Night Pow Wow (WV) — 4yo filly by Fiber Sonde-Holy Pow Wow, by Indian Charlie; bred in West Virginia by John McKee; trained by Javier Contreras for Breeze Easy LLC; won G3 Barbara Fritchie S., $100,000 What A Summer S., Twixt S., 3rd G1 Madison
Cordmaker (MD) — 4yo gelding by Curlin-Tanca, by Polish Numbers; bred in Maryland by Bob Manfuso and Katy Voss; trained by Rodney Jenkins for Hillwood Stable LLC; won $100,000 Polynesian Stakes, $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes, DTHA Governors Day H., 2nd G3 Pimlico Special
Horologist (NJ) — 3yo filly by Gemologist-Queen Cinderella Time, by Stephen Got Even; bred in New Jersey by Holly Crest Farm; trained by Richard Baltas for There’s A Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, and Abbondanza Racing LLC; won G3 Monmouth Oaks, third in G1 Cotillion
Anna’s Bandit (WV) — 5yo mare by Great Notion-Onearmedbandit, by No Armistice; bred in West Virginia by John Robb; trained by John Robb for No Guts No Glory Farm; won Timonium Distaff S., Sadie Hawkins S., WVBC Cavada, Maryland Million Distaff, etc.

Also receiving votes: Out for a Spin, Call Paul, Senior Senator, Mirth, Top Line Growth, Pumpkin Rumble

Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Joe Clancy (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Paul Espinosa (Charles Town Races), Anne Frederick (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Rich Glazier (Delaware Park), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Jim Hague (freelance), Nick Hahn (freelance), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), Tom LaMarra (The Blood-Horse), Jeff Nations (freelance), Kate Painter, Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), Gary Quill (The Racing Biz), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), Sal Sinatra (Maryland Jockey Club), Chris Sobocinski (Delaware Park), 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.