MAXIMUM SECURITY CRACKS NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL

Alicia Hughes/NTRA —-

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 22, 2019) – After withstanding oppressive heat and surviving an inquiry to prevail in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 20, Maximum Security gained another leg up on his sophomore male counterparts by working his way into this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Jason Servis, Maximum Security was making his second start since being disqualified for interference after hitting the wire first in the May 4 Kentucky Derby. The son of New Year’s Day had to endure more drama in the Haskell when King for a Day – who bested Maximum Security in the June 16 Pegasus Stakes – had to check up while racing along the rail but the result was allowed to stand, giving the colt owned and bred by Gary and Mary West his second official top-level win.

Voters responded by making Maximum Security the only 3-year-old in the NTRA Poll’s top 10 as he earned 79 points to slot into the seventh position. Prior to his Kentucky Derby disqualification, the bay colt had won his first four starts, including the Grade 1 Florida Derby.

It was more of the same at the head of the NTRA Poll with Bricks and Mortar (32 first-place votes, 397 points) maintaining his lead over fellow multiple Grade 1 winner Mitole (7 first-place votes, 359 points) in second. Top distaffer Midnight Bisou (1 first-place vote, 301 points) continues to hold down the third spot in the wake of her in-hand victory in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes on the Haskell undercard with McKinzie (1 first-place vote, 248 points) ranked fourth.

Maximum Security’s stablemate World of Trouble (194 points) remains in the fifth position just ahead of reigning champion turf female Sistercharlie (IRE), who earned 187 points. Grade 1 winner Seeking the Soul (76 points) is in eighth, just three points behind Maximum Security, with multiple Group 1 victor Thunder Snow (IRE) (74) and Vino Rosso (68) rounding out the top 10.

The Top Thoroughbred Poll wraps up November 4 after the running of the Breeders’ Cup.

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.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll can be found on the NTRA website at:

https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-july-22-2019/

Full accounting of top 10 votes by voter can be found at:

https://www.ntra.com/wp-content/uploads/Polls-week26-by_voter-2019.pdf

Cover Photo: Maximum Security; Leslie Martin Photo