- Stellar Wind (47) — Virginia
- Dame Dorothy (41) — Pennsylvania
- Valid (22) — Virginia
- The Big Beast (22) — Maryland
- Page McKenney (21) — Pennsylvania
- Favorite Tale (13) — Pennsylvania
- Kitten’s Point (10) — Pennsylvania
Others receiving votes: Middleburg, Long on Value, Kiss to Remember, Mr Owen, R Frosty One[/su_box]
With the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll now a single poll incorporating horses of all ages, voters had a tough time choosing between a pair of Grade 1 winners.
The September poll marks the first one of the season in which three-year-olds and older horses (and juveniles) are considered together, and voters decided on the youngster, choosing three-year-old Virginia-bred Stellar Wind as the top horse bred in the region. Stellar Wind’s top result this year was a victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks back in April.
In the voting, she narrowly bested Pennsylvania-bred Dame Dorothy, winner of May’s Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.
Those two runners — both fillies — were well clear of the rest.
Virginia-bred Valid, Maryland-bred The Big Beast, and Pennsylvania-bred Page McKenney essentially dead-heated for the third, fourth and fifth spots.
Valid has been the busiest horse among the poll members, racing 10 times so far in 2015. He’s won three of those starts, including a pair of Grade 3 races. The Big Beast, meanwhile, is the only runner on the list not to own a stakes win this season. The winner of last year’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop, The Big Beast has twice finished second in Grade 1 events this year but posted his lone victory of the season in an allowance heat.
The top seven is rounded out by a pair of Pennsylvania-breds, the gelding Favorite Tale and the mare Kitten’s Point. Both runners were victorious in their most recent starts, both at Parx Racing.
The list included four horses bred in Pennsylvania, two from Virginia, and one Maryland-bred. Four are males, and three 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.
TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED HORSES
(In the list below, click on the green buttons for more info about each horse.)
RANK | HORSE | AGE | SEX | STATE BRED | BREEDING | BREEDER | OWNER | TRAINER | LAST RESULT | SUMMARY | 2015 record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stellar Wind | 3 | F | VA | Curlin-Evening Star, by Malibu Moon | Keswick Stables & Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC | Hronis Racing LLC | John Sadler | Won G3 Torrey Pines on 8/30/15 | Multiple graded winner won G1 Santa Anita Oaks in April | 5-4-0-0, $526,000 |
| 2 | Dame Dorothy | 4 | F | PA | Bernardini-Vole Vole Monamour, by Woodman | Derry Meeting Farm | Bobby Flay | Todd Pletcher | 3rd in G2 Gallant Bloom 9/26/15 | Multiple graded winner won G1 Humana Distaff in May | 6-3-1-1, $477,840 |
| 3 | Kitten's Point | 5 | M | PA | Kitten's Joy-Rendezvous Point, by Kingmambo | George Strawbridge Jr. | Augustin Stable | Graham Motion | Won G3 Dowager Stakes | 4 stakes wins in '15 include two G3 scores | 8-4-0-2, $316,600 |
| 4 | Valid | 5 | G | VA | Medaglia d'Oro-Grand Prayer, by Grand Slam | Edward P. Evans | Crossed Sabres Farm | Marcus Vitali | Won Groomstick Stakes 9/26/15 | 2 time G3 winner in '15 | 10-3-3-2, $314,760 |
| 5 | Page McKenney | 5 | G | PA | Eavesdropper-Winning Grace, by Yarrow Brae | Dr. James E. Bryant & Linda P. Davis | Adam Staple and Jalin Stable | Mary Eppler | 2nd in Roanoke Stakes | Former claimer has placed in 3 graded races this year | 8-3-3-2, $473,100 |
| 6 | Favorite Tale | 4 | G | PA | Tale of the Cat-Tricky Elaine, by Grindstone | Paul Conaway | PJG Stable | Guadalupe Preciado | Won allowance race | G2 winner, G1 placed in '15 | 5-2-1-1, $248,300 |
| 7 | The Big Beast | 4 | C | MD | Yes It's True-VVS Flawless, by Deputy Miniser | Green Willow Farms | Alex and JoAnn Lieblong | Anthony Dutrow | 2nd in G1 Forego | Twice G1 placed in '15 | 4-1-2-0, $260,800 |
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.
