CHAMPION MIDNIGHT BISOU NEW LEADER IN NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL; TIE AT THE TOP OF 3-YEAR-OLD POLL

Alicia Hughes/NTRA —-

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 10, 2020) – Midnight Bisou, the champion older dirt female of 2019 and runner-up in her first try against males in the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 29, earned 16 first-place votes and a total of 376 points to take over the lead position in this week’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Champion Maximum Security had previously been ranked in the top spot following his victory in the Saudi Cup. In the wake of the federal indictment and doping-related charges announced March 9 against 27 individuals, including Jason Servis, who had been the trainer of Maximum Security and Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire, NTRA poll voters were given the opportunity to adjust their selections should they choose.

Maximum Security still received 24 first-place votes but his overall point total of 241 dropped him to fourth overall behind Mucho Gusto in second (316 points) and Zulu Alpha (1 first-place vote, 267 points). Mucho Gusto is set to make his next start in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 28 while Zulu Alpha has captured the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes in his first two outings of 2020.

Mr Freeze, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes, holds in fifth with 159 points followed by Grade 1 winner Code of Honor (110 points). Combatant gave his trainer John Sadler the distinction of saddling the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap for a third consecutive year and the son of Scat Daddy also made an impression with voters, earning 95 points to join the top 10 in the seventh position.
Firenze Fire is eighth with 74 points with Hard Not to Love and McKinzie tied for ninth with 56 points apiece.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll concludes November 9 after the running of the Breeders’ Cup.

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law continues to hold a share of the lead in the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll but the flashy colt is now joined at the top by undefeated Authentic, the impressive winner of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes last weekend. Tiz the Law notched 22 first-place votes compared to 16 for Authentic but both colts tallied a leading total of 373 points.

Tiz the Law captured the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes in his seasonal bow on February 1 and is set to make his next start in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28. Authentic, who also prevailed in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on January 4, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4 according to trainer Bob Baffert.

Ete Indien, an 8 ½-length winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on February 29, sits third with 1 first-place vote and 254 points.

Undefeated Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes winner Nadal (215 points) is fourth followed by Honor A.P. (156) and Silver Prospector (2 first-place votes, 140 points). Sole Volante, winner of the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes and runner-up in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, is seventh with 137 points while Mischevious Alex (81 points), Independence Hall (70) and Gouverneur Morris (68) complete the top ten.

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 Top 3-Year-Old Poll concludes June 8 after the Belmont Stakes.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll can be found on the NTRA website at:
https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-march-9-2020/

Full accounting of top 10 votes by voter can be found at:
https://mk0ntrauj6jy9vera.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Polls-week4-by_voter-2020.pdf
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