Contact: Joan Lawrence, NTRA Communications, (646) 335-6833
NYQUIST TAKES FIRST PLACE IN 3-YEAR-OLD POLL;
CALIFORNIA CHROME REMAINS WITH ALL FIRST PLACE VOTES AND LEADS TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL
Saratoga Springs, NY (Monday, April 4, 2016) – The “Road to the Triple Crown” National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Poll has a clear leader in Week 5 after the showdown of two undefeated sophomores in the Florida Derby (G1). New number one Nyquist (37 first-place points, 429 points overall) won easily over Mohaymen (282 points), who was a well-beaten fourth and drops from first to fourth in the NTRA rankings.
The winning connections of owner Paul Reddam Racing, trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Mario Gutierrez teamed up again after their first successful Triple Crown run in 2012 with I’ll Have Another, who went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Nyquist, the 2-year-old Eclipse Champion, ended up a strong 3-1 favorite in Churchill Downs’ fourth and final pool of the 2016 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closed Sunday.
Songbird (296) moves up a notch to second in advance of this weekend’s Santa Anita Oaks (G1), while Louisiana Derby (G2) hero Gun Runner (292) slips to the third slot.
Rounding out the top-ten are: Danzing Candy (240 points, 1 first-place vote); Mor Spirit (181 points, 1 first-place vote); Cupid (180); (Destin (174 points, 1 first-place vote); Shagaf (117) and Cathryn Sophia (74).
The NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll is the sport’s most comprehensive survey of experts ranking the generation of Thoroughbreds that includes all Triple Crown contenders. Every week as many as 50 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. The NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll concludes Monday, June 12, following the Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of the Triple Crown.
In the Top Thoroughbred Poll, the older horses remained largely dormant while their younger counterparts were busy doing most of the major stakes running last weekend.
The all-time leading money earner in the U.S., California Chrome, remains on top for the fifth straight week with 440 points and 44 first-place votes after his smashing 3 3/4-length victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup (Group 1). With earnings of $12,532,650, California Chrome surpassed 2008 Dubai World Cup winner Curlin, who retired to stud with earnings of $10,501,800.
Top three-year-old Nyquist (250) moved up from eighth to third while the remaining top-ten show little movement in either direction.
Rounding out the field is: Tepin (298); Beholder (232); Songbird (208); Hoppertunity (201); Mshawish (121); Runhappy (91); Melatonin (88) and Frosted (84).
The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll concludes Monday, November 7, following the Breeders’ Cup World Championships which will be held at Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, California.