BRICKS AND MORTAR STILL THE ONE TO CATCH IN NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL

By Alicia Hughes/NTRA —-

Bricks and Mortar; Lauren King Photos

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 16, 2019) – While the next generation of talent was on display this past weekend during 2-year-old graded stakes at Woodbine and Churchill Downs, racing’s current standouts continue to hold sway in the weekly NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Taking up his customary position out front is leading Horse of the Year candidate Bricks and Mortar, who has held the No. 1 position in the poll since April 8. The son of Giant’s Causeway earned 29 first-place votes and 363 points on the strength of a season that has seen him win all five of his starts including four Grade 1 contests.

Bricks and Mortar most recently captured the Grade 1 Arlington Million XXXVII Stakes on August 10 and has been working in company of late with stablemate Sistercharlie (IRE), the reigning champion turf female and fifth-ranked horse with 232 points.

Steve Asmussen-trainee Midnight Bisou is a perfect 6-for-6 in 2019 and remains solidly in the second spot with 4 first-place votes and 316 points. The daughter of Midnight Lute is scheduled to make her next start in the Grade 2 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park on September 28, her final prep before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

McKinzie, winner of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes, remains third with 4 first-place votes and 293 points while Mitole, who notched his third top-level victory this year when he took the Forego Stakes on August 24, sits fourth with 253 points.

Sistercharlie, winner of the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes last time out, is fifth followed by the John Sadler-trained Catalina Cruiser (86 points). World of Trouble, who has not raced since his victory in the Grade 1 Jaipur Invitational Stakes on June 8, is seventh with 83 points. Code of Honor (76 points), Elate (73), and Imperial Hint (70) round 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-september-16-2019/

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

https://www.ntra.com/wp-content/uploads/Polls-week34-by_voter-2019.pdf