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Pointing To Forego, Vekoma Takes Over NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

With Midnight Bisou and Tom's d'Etat both suffering defeats in their respective Grade 1 races at Saratoga Race Course this past weekend, multiple top-level winner Vekoma gained the majority of support among voters to move into the No. 1 position on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Vekoma has been flawless in his 4-year-old campaign to date, winning all three of his outings including victories in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap and Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. The son of Candy Ride (ARG) surged to the top of this week's poll with 13 first-place votes and 321 total points and is expected to make his next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego on August 29 at Saratoga.

“We're trying to make it to the Breeders' Cup and the Forego is the most logical next spot,” trainer George Weaver told the NYRA publicity team regarding Vekoma. “So far, everything's looking good and we're looking forward to getting him back to the races. The sky's the limit for him.”

Tom's d'Etat could have made a case to move into the No. 1 slot with a victory in last Saturday's Grade Whitney Stakes but the 7-year-old stumbled out of the gate en route to a third-place finish. The son of Smart Strike still earned 6 first-place votes and 299 points to hold onto the No. 2 spot while his Whitney conqueror Improbable moved into the third position with 6 first-place votes and 278 points.

Champion Maximum Security (9 first-place votes, 256 points) maintains the fourth spot while fellow Eclipse Award-winner Midnight Bisou – who had held the top spot in the poll since March 10 – dropped to fifth with 1 first-place vote and 248 points after she finished second as the favorite behind Vexatious in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes.

Zulu Alpha (140 points) ranks sixth followed by Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, in seventh with 2 first-place votes and 120 points. Top-ranked sophomore Tiz the Law ranks eighth with 3 first-place votes and 118 points while By My Standards (112 points) and Volatile (56) round out the top 10.

Ahead of his expected run in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga this Saturday, Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law remains the clear choice in the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll with 40 first-place votes and 400 total points. Honor A. P., who finished second in the Shared Belief Stakes on August 1, holds onto the No. 2 spot with 300 points.

Grade 1 Haskell Stakes victor Authentic (280 points) sits third followed by Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector (276), who is expected to be the heavy favorite in the Ellis Park Derby on August 9.

Los Alamitos Derby victor Uncle Chuck (180 points) ranks fifth ahead of his planned start in the Travers Stakes while stablemate Thousand Words (138) rejoins the top 10 in sixth following his victory in the Shared Belief Stakes.

Haskell runner-up Ny Traffic (112 points) ranks seventh followed by King Guillermo, winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, in eighth with 106 points. Sophomore fillies Swiss Skydiver (89 points) and Gamine (84) complete 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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Maximum Security Returns To Fourth Position In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Champion Maximum Security, who led the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll in early March, has moved back into the top five of the rankings this week following his victory in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar July 25.

In his first start since taking the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 29, Maximum Security showed his grit when he prevailed by a nose over Midcourt in the 1 1/16-miles San Diego Handicap. That effort – which was also his first since joining the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – earned the 2019 Eclipse Award-winner for champion 3-year-old male 2 first-place votes and 228 points this week, moving him from tenth to fourth overall in the poll standings.

Ranking ahead of Maximum Security is fellow champion Midnight Bisou, who continues to lead the poll with 22 first-place votes and 365 points as she readies for her expected run in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 1. Midnight Bisou worked a half-mile in :50.55 on Monday morning in preparation for her title defense of Saturday's test.

Tom's d'Etat, who is expected to start in Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, holds in second with 10 first-place votes and 335 points while fellow top-level winner Vekoma is third with 2 first-place votes and 294 points.

Zulu Alpha (158 points) sits behind Maximum Security in the fifth position followed by Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, in sixth with 1 first-place vote and 129 points. By My Standards, who is also slated to start in the Whitney, is seventh with 113 points while top-ranked sophomore Tiz the Law is eighth with 2 first-place votes and 112 points. Mucho Gusto (92 points) and Code of Honor (1 first-place vote, 83 points) round out the top 10.

Less than two weeks from his planned start in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, Tiz the Law continues to hold a commanding lead in the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll with 39 first-place votes and 399 total points. Honor A. P., who is set to run in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 1, ranks second with 1 first-place vote and 355 points and is followed by Grade 1 Haskell Stakes victor Authentic (284 points).

Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector (254 points) and Los Alamitos Derby victor Uncle Chuck (150) sit fourth and fifth, respectively, with Haskell runner-up Ny Traffic (129) in sixth. King Guillermo, winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, ranks seventh with 117 points followed by leading sophomore fillies Gamine (107 points) and Swiss Skydiver (102). Dr Post (100 points) completes the top 10.

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Turf Veteran Zulu Alpha Closes Out Keeneland Summer Meet With Elkhorn Win

Michael Hui's even-money favorite Zulu Alpha surged past longshot pacesetter Postulation in deep stretch by three-quarters of a length to win Sunday afternoon's 35th running of the $175,000 TVG Elkhorn (G2) for 4-year-olds and up in the final race of the five-day Keeneland Summer Meet in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Zulu Alpha completed the 1 1/2 miles on a turf course rated as good in 2:30.82. The victory secured the Summer Meet riding title for Gaffalione with seven wins and gave Maker three winners on the afternoon, including the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) two races prior with Field Pass.

It was the fourth Elkhorn victory for Maker, who won last year with Bigger Picture with Gaffalione aboard, in 2016 with Da Big Hoss and 2013 with Dark Cove.

Postulation led the field of 11 through unopposed fractions of :25.56, :52.02, 1:18.14 and 1:43.20 as Zulu Alpha raced back in ninth.

Gaffalione began to pick off horses on the far turn and then swung six wide in the stretch for clear sailing at Postulation, who did not give way until inside the sixteenth pole.

The victory was worth $105,000 and improved Zulu Alpha's career earnings to $2,165,114 with a record of 34-12-5-5. Sunday's triumph was the seventh graded stakes victory for Zulu Alpha, who also won the 2018 Sycamore (G3) at Keeneland.

Zulu Alpha is a 7-year-old Kentucky-bred gelded son of Street Cry (IRE) out of the A.P. Indy mare Zori. He paid $4, $2.80 and $2.60. Postulation, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $22 and $11.40 and finished 1¼ lengths front of Nakamura, who paid $6.20 to show under John Velazquez.

Jais's Solitude finished another 1¼ lengths back in fourth and was followed in order by Ry's the Guy, Arklow, Oscar Dominguez (IRE), He's No Lemon, Apreciado, Henley's Joy and Hellorhighwater.

TVG Elkhorn Quotes
Tyler Gaffalione: “(Being the Summer Meet's leading rider) feels amazing. I'm so glad to be getting the opportunities that I've been getting.”

How straightforward is Zula Alpha to ride? “He's as easy as they come. He just drops his head and you let him do his thing. He knows where the wire is. He's got some turn of foot.”

Is this one of the more impressive wins that he's had? “He's just keeps getting better and better throughout the year. All credit goes to (trainer) Mike (Maker) and his team. I'm just blessed to be part of it.”

Mike Maker: “After Gulfstream (where he won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational-G1 and Mac Diarmida-G2 and was second in the Kitten's Joy Pan American-G2), we sent him to the farm again. We got delayed with the virus. Going a mile and a half, you're always a little bit concerned. But even I can't mess this one up.”

What do you map out between now and the fall? “Beginning of the year, our plans got changed a little bit because of the virus. But it was Kentucky Downs and then the Breeders' Cup (at Keeneland).”

Michael Matz, trainer of runner-up Postulation: “We're quite proud of him the way he ran. He's been off for almost seven months. He's no spring chicken, so we were really pleased the way he ran today. It was a shame he couldn't last (on the lead) a little longer, but that's what happens. Sometimes you get beat. But we were really proud of him. He tried hard and didn't give up the whole way. We were pleased with his effort. He's been a good horse for us. He always tries and he does what he can do. That's all you can ask of a horse.”

Graham Motion, trainer of third-place finisher Nakamura: “I was very pleased with the race for him coming off that (eight-month layoff). He is very competitive with these types of horses. He ran like he was fit enough. The (very slow) pace probably did not help us, but winner came from about where we were.”

On Nakamura's next race: “Possibly the Bowling Green (G2) at Saratoga (on Aug. 1) would be an option for sure. (The Breeders' Cup at Keeneland) would be ambitious at this staloage, but never say never. I love the Breeders' Cup.”

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Pegasus Turf Winner Zulu Alpha Headlines Sunday’s Elkhorn At Keeneland

Michael Hui's six-time graded stakes winner Zulu Alpha will shoot for his third victory of 2020 when he headlines a field of 13 grass marathoners Sunday in the 35th running of the $175,000 TVG Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland.

The TVG Elkhorn will be contested over 1½ miles over the Keeneland turf course and be run as the final race of the five-day Summer Meet. First post time Sunday is 1:05 p.m. with the TVG Elkhorn going as the ninth race with a 5:30 post time.

NBCSN will provide live coverage of the TVG Elkhorn from 5-7 p.m.

Winner of the 2018 Sycamore (G3) and third as the favorite in the 2019 Dixiana Elkhorn, Zulu Alpha started his 2020 campaign with a victory in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Presented by Runhappy (G1) and followed that with a triumph in the Mac Diarmida (G2). In his most recent start, Zulu Alpha was second in the Kitten's Joy Pan American (G2) going 1½ miles.

Mike Maker trains Zulu Alpha, who will break from post position five under Tyler Gaffalione in the TVG Elkhorn.

Figuring to be the major rival to Zulu Alpha is $1.8 million earner Arklow.

Owned by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway, Arklow won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) last fall at Belmont Park. Trained by Brad Cox, Arklow finished second in the Louisville (G3) in his most recent start that came off a 4½-month layoff. Arklow will exit post 10 under Florent Geroux.

The field for the TVG Elkhorn, with riders and weights from the rail, is: Apreciado (Gerardo Corrales, 118 pounds), Nakamura (John Velazquez, 118), Ramsey Solution (Julio Garcia, 118), Postulation (Julien Leparoux, 118), Zulu Alpha (Gaffalione, 120), Jais's Solitude (Corey Lanerie, 118), He's No Lemon (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Hellorhighwater (James Graham, 118), Oscar Dominguez (IRE) (Joel Rosario, 118), Arklow (Geroux, 123), Ry's the Guy (Chris Landeros, 118), Hierarchy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Henley's Joy (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118).

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