Contact: Joan Lawrence, NTRA Communications, (646) 335-6833, jlawrence@ntra.com
CALIFORNIA CHROME IN FIRST PLACE ON NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (Monday, August 1, 2016) – California Chrome the leading Thoroughbred in North America remains in first-place in this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. The all-time leading money earner in the U.S., California Chrome has led the poll for all 22 weeks of 2016 voting, clinching this week’s tally with 36 first-place votes and 414 points overall
The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll is the sport’s most comprehensive survey of experts ranking active North American-based Thoroughbreds. Every week 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. The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll concludes Monday, November 7, following the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Tepin (5 first-place votes; 360 points) remains second in the rankings, ahead of Songbird, (258) the undefeated 3-year-old filly who moved upped into the third slot. It is anticipated that the Eclipse Award champion will make her next start in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes on August 20.
The four-year-old Metropolitan Handicap winner Frosted (1 first-place vote; 256 points) and ranked fourth is expected to enter to run in the Whitney Handicap, August 6 at Saratoga at the Spa for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
The newly minted Bowling Green Stakes (Grade 2) winner Flintshire (226) moves into fifth place in the top-ten for Juddmonte Farms and trainer Chad Brown after his 1 ¾ length victory this past Saturday on the turf at Saratoga.
Three-time Eclipse Award champion Beholder (168) drops down to sixth after her defeat in the Clement L. Hirsch where she finished second to Stellar Wind this past Sunday at Del Mar.
NTRA voters ranked Exaggerator (164) seventh after defeating Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and four other 3-year-olds in the Grade I betfair.com Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Sunday for Big Chief Racing LLC, Head of Plains Partners LLC and Rocker O Ranch LLC, trainer Keith Desormeaux and his regular rider, Kent Desormeaux. A “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup qualifier, Exaggerator earned a berth in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November.
The remaining top 10 is rounded out by: Melatonin (123); Catch A Glimpse (87) and Dortmund (69).