As the Road to the Breeders' Cup series picks up steam following a schedule adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus this upcoming weekend shifts to Woodbine in Toronto, which will host three Challenge Series races offering automatic berths to the 37th World Championships on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course. On Sept.
Tag: Racing
Stablemates Authentic, Maximum Security Hold Strong Atop NTRA Polls
While trainer Bob Baffert has been working the yearling sales in recent days seeking out his next stable star, the Hall of Fame conditioner has been able to lay claim to having the top-ranked runners in two of racing's glamour divisions.
For the second straight week, Kentucky Derby winner Authentic leads the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Poll while his stablemate, champion Maximum Security, heads up the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.
Authentic captured the September 5 Kentucky Derby in frontrunning fashion to give Baffert his record-tying sixth triumph in the 10-furlong classic. The son of Into Mischief earned 23 first-place votes and 356 points to lead the poll with Tiz the Law, beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby, sitting second with 14 first-place votes and 347 points.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm, My Racehorse, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing, Authentic is expected to contest the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on October 3.
Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector, who had to miss the Kentucky Derby due to a minor foot injury but is also on track for a start in the Preakness Stakes, remains third with 263 points, one point ahead of Grade 1 winner Honor A. P. (262).
Kentucky Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver (140 points) is fifth, just ahead of Thousand Words (139), while Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil sits seventh with 97 points
Gamine, the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Oaks, moves up two spots this week to eighth with 86 points followed by King Guillermo (78 points) and Max Player (77) completing the top 10.
Maximum Security, who captured the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes on August 22, holds a commanding advantage in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 27 first-place votes and 347 points. The 4-year-old son of New Year's Day has won his last six starts including victories in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and Grade 1 Cigar Mile last season.
Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma remains in second with 7 first-place votes and 263 points followed by Tom's d'Etat (3 first-place votes, 227 points), who on Monday turned in his first workout since finishing third in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes on August 1.
Champion Monomoy Girl moves up to fourth with 211 points on the heels of her victory in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes on September 4 while Whitney Stakes-winner Improbable (197 points) ranks fifth.
By My Standards, who captured the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on the Oaks undercard, remains sixth with 158 points followed by champion Midnight Bisou (156 points) and Tiz the Law (131). Authentic (116 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (85) round out the top 10.
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 both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.
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Due To Air Quality Concerns, Santa Anita Will Push Opening Day Back To Sept. 25
The opening day of Santa Anita's Autumn season will be pushed back a week until Friday, September 25, due to the impact of Bobcat Fire on the air quality and surrounding community.
“Our local community has been deeply impacted by the Bobcat Fire burning for more than a week in the mountains behind us,” said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Operations for The Stronach Group. “The current weather pattern has kept the smoke in the valley and the air quality is quite poor right now. The Red Cross is using Santa Anita as the evacuation zone for people – including many of our horsemen – whose homes are less than two miles from here. As excited as we are to welcome back live racing, we are first and foremost committed to safety. This is the responsible decision to make at this time so people can plan accordingly.”
“The stakes races set for this weekend will be brought back next weekend,” said Steve Lym, Santa Anita's VP – Racing & Racing Secretary. “The smoke has impacted some training schedules, so postponing until next weekend will allow everyone a chance to be ready to go. We are planning on filling extra races throughout the meet to give our horsemen the opportunity to run their horses.”
The Opening Week now will feature a blockbuster schedule of outstanding stakes action, offering over $2-million in purse money. The stakes schedule includes seven races which are “Win and You're In” races for the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships. The stakes races originally slotted for this weekend will be run as follows: the Chillingworth on Friday, September 25, the Speakeasy on Saturday, September 26 and the Tokyo City Cup on Sunday, September 27.
Entries for Opening Day, September 25, will be drawn on Sunday, September 20, as scheduled. First post will be 12:30 p.m. PT.
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America’s Best Horses for Sept. 14
Each week members of the media around the country vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Find out the latest 2020 top 3-year-old rankings below. AMERICA'S TOP THOROUGHBREDS as of Sept. 14
