National Thoroughbred Racing Association | Horse Racing Free Tips

Concert Tour, Swiss Skydiver Moving Up In NTRA Polls

After each posted handy victories this past weekend, unbeaten sophomore Concert Tour and champion filly Swiss Skydiver both advanced up to third in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll and NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, respectively.

Concert Tour earned his third win from as many career starts when he captured the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes by 4 ¼ lengths on March 13. The son of Street Sense previously won the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 6 and earned 2 first-place votes and 306 points this week to rank just behind poll leader Essential Quality (20 first-place votes, 372 points) and Life Is Good (14 first-place votes, 365 points).

“He was doing it with ease, with plenty left,” trainer Bob Baffert told the Oaklawn Park notes team of Concert Tour.

Greatest Honour, winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, dips one spot to fourth with 2 first-place votes and 290 points. Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes winner Mandaloun (1 first-place vote and 239 points) sits fifth ahead of his expected run in Saturday's $1 million Louisiana Derby followed by Medina Spirit (156 points), Helium (77) and Risk Taking (73).

Proxy, who is also set to start in the Louisiana Derby, ranks ninth with 57 points while Hot Rod Charlie (38 points) rounds out the top 10.

While Grade 1 winner Charlatan continues to lead the way on the Top Thoroughbred Poll with 22 first-place votes and 362 points followed by two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (13 first-place votes, 348 points), Swiss Skydiver closed the gap on the top two following her victory in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita Park March 13. The daughter of Daredevil earned 2 first-place votes and 288 points to jump up to third, just ahead of multiple Grade 1 winner Knicks Go (1 first-place vote, 275 points).

The Richard Baltas-trained Idol, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, sits fifth with 169 points. Graded stakes winner Mystic Guide (1 first-place vote, 159 points) ranks sixth followed by Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes winner Colonel Liam (123 points) and Maxfield (110).

Shedaresthedevil, winner of the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, joins the top 10 in ninth with 58 points in the wake of her victory in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes. Champion female sprinter Gamine (57 points) completes the order.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys 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. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through November 6.

The post Concert Tour, Swiss Skydiver Moving Up In NTRA Polls appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Life Is Good Moves Up To Second In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

Life Is Good was as good as advertised this past weekend when the son of Into Mischief rolled to an eight-length victory in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park. As a result of that emphatic triumph, the bay colt was able to close the gap on champion Essential Quality in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

Making just his third career start, Life Is Good earned his second graded stakes win when he captured the San Felipe. Off the strength of that outing, the Bob Baffert-trainee earned 17 first-place votes and 360 points to move up to second on the poll just behind Essential Quality, who continues to hold down the No. 1 slot with 20 first-place votes and 369 points.

Life Is Good broke his maiden at Del Mar last November and opened his sophomore campaign with a win in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2.

“He's still green,” Baffert told the Santa Anita Park notes team about Life Is Good. “The main thing is he came out of it really well. We saw a lot of raw talent (In the San Felipe).”

Greatest Honour, winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, drops one spot to third this week with 1 first-place vote and 293 points. Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes winner Mandaloun (1 first-place vote, 240 points) remains in fourth followed by Medina Spirit (174 points), Caddo River (158), Concert Tour (123), and Keepmeinmind (87).

The Mark Casse-trained Helium, upset winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, enters the rankings in ninth place with 72 points while Risk Taking (65 points) competes the top 10.

There was no change in the top three of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll as Grade 1 winner Charlatan continues to lead the way with 24 first-place votes and 370 points followed by two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (14 first-place votes, 343 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Knicks Go (291 points).

Joining the top 10 fray this week is the Richard Baltas-trained Idol, who earned 175 points to rank fourth following his victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. Mystic Guide (1 first-place vote, 150 points) moves up one spot to fifth followed by champion filly Swiss Skydiver (148 points) and Grade 1 winner Maxfield (147).

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes winner Colonel Liam (137 points) is eighth followed by champion female sprinter Gamine (78) and Jesus' Team (51).

The post Life Is Good Moves Up To Second In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Essential Quality’s ‘Big Performance’ Confirms His Lead In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

The transition from age 2 to 3 proved no issue for Godolphin's homebred champion Essential Quality as the son of Tapit captured his seasonal bow this past weekend in handy fashion. In the wake of the colt's 4 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 27, Essential Quality has strengthened his position as the divisional leader, earning 37 first-place votes and 405 points to remain out front in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

In his first since capturing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November, Essential Quality ran his record to four wins in as many starts when he dismissed his six challengers in the Southwest Stakes. The reigning 2-year-old male champion will likely target either the $800,000, Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes April 3 at Keeneland or the $1 million, Grade 1 Arkansas Derby April 10 at Oaklawn for his final Kentucky Derby prep race.

“Big performance off the layoff,” Essential Quality's trainer Brad Cox told the Oaklawn Park notes team. “Hopefully, we can take another jump or two forward, I think, in order to win the Derby. Hopefully, he has it in him. It was a very nice race (in the Southwest).”

The Shug McGaughey-trained Greatest Honour (1 first-place vote, 336 points) moves up to second on the poll in the wake of his victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park this past weekend. The Courtland Farms homebred has now reeled off three straight wins including his triumph in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Jan. 30.

Life Is Good, winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2, drops one spot to third with 2 first-place votes and 302 points followed by Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes winner Mandaloun in fourth with 1 first-place vote and 258 points.

Medina Spirit (206 points) holds in fifth followed by Caddo River (174), Concert Tour (121), and Keepmeinmind (91). Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner Risk Taking (74 points) is ninth with Proxy (39) completing the top 10.

Grade 1 winner Charlatan, who finished second in the $20 million Saudi Cup, continues to lead the way in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 22 first-place votes and 382 points. Moving up in the ranks, however, is two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl, who advanced to second this week with 14 first-place votes and 349 points in the wake of her triumph in the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes.

Knicks Go, winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational, is third with 300 points followed by Godolphin's unbeaten Maxfield (4 first-place votes, 289 points) and champion filly Swiss Skydiver (159 points).

It was a strong weekend for the Godolphin team as their colt Mystic Guide won the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap in his seasonal bow and debuted in the top 10 of the Thoroughbred Poll, earning 1 first-place vote and 158 points to land in the sixth position.

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes winner Colonel Liam (152 points) is seventh followed by champion female sprinter Gamine (92), Jesus' Team (77), and champion turf male Channel Maker (70).

The post Essential Quality’s ‘Big Performance’ Confirms His Lead In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Charlatan Takes Over No. 1 Spot In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Though he was caught in late stretch en route to finishing second in the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 20, Charlatan's game effort against international competition was enough for the son of Speightstown to garner favor among voters, who moved the colt into the No. 1 spot on this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Charlatan finished a length behind Mishriff in the Saudi Cup – the first time in five career starts that the chestnut colt had not crossed the wire in front. That outing earned Charlatan 25 first-place votes and 353 points to move him up one spot on the poll.

“(Charlatan) ran a big race,” Baffert told the Santa Anita Park notes team on Sunday morning. “He put away Knicks Go, just ran him down, turned in a gallant effort and it's too bad he got beat. That's a demanding track. The stretch is so long, and he ran hard. The way he ran, it shows what a brilliant horse he is.”

Knicks Go, who led the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll last week, dropped to second in the balloting with 1 first-place vote and 288 points after running fourth in the Saudi Cup.

Godolphin's unbeaten homebred Maxfield, winner of the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 13, remains third with 5 first-place votes and 265 points while champion distaffer Monomoy Girl (6 first-place votes, 264 points) holds in fourth.

Swiss Skydiver, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2020, moved up to fifth with 160 points followed by Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes winner Colonel Liam (156 points).

Reigning champion female sprinter Gamine is seventh with 93 points with Jesus' Team (92 points), champion turf male Channel Maker (73), and champion male sprinter Whitmore (55) completing the top 10.

There were no positional changes in this week's NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll as champion juvenile male Essential Quality remains the clear leader with 26 first-place votes and 345 points.

Life Is Good, winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2, remains second with 5 first-place votes and 295 points while Mandaloun, who captured the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 13, is third with 4 first-place votes and 238 points.

Holy Bull Stakes winner Greatest Honour (1 first-place vote, 225 points) sits fourth with Medina Spirit (188 points) in fifth. Caddo River (1 first-place vote, 165 points) remains sixth followed by Concert Tour (101 points), Keepmeinmind (81), and Jackie's Warrior (70). Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner Risk Taking (65 points) completes the top 10.

The post Charlatan Takes Over No. 1 Spot In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post