She’s Back: Triumphant Returns Lands Champion Monomoy Girl in Top Ten of NTRA Thoroughbred Poll

Alicia Hughes, NTRA Communications —-

SHE’S BACK: TRIUMPHANT RETURN LANDS CHAMPION MONOMOY GIRL IN TOP TEN OF NTRA THOROUGHBRED POLL

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 18, 2020) – Monomoy Girl keeps picking right up where she left off.

After the daughter of Tapizar ended an 18-month hiatus with a victory at Churchill Downs this past weekend, the 2018 Eclipse Award-winner for champion 3-year-old filly also rejoined the ranks in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll, landing in the eighth spot with 88 points.

In her first outing since capturing the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Distaff beneath the Twin Spires, Monomoy Girl made handy work of her foes when she prevailed by 2 ¾ lengths in a one-mile allowance race at Churchill on May 16. The chestnut mare won five Grade 1 races during her championship campaign two seasons ago, including a victory in that year’s Kentucky Oaks. She has won 10 of 12 career starts with her two defeats coming in the 2017 Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes and via disqualification to rival Midnight Bisou in the 2018 Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes.

Midnight Bisou, herself the reigning Eclipse Award-winner for champion older dirt female, still commands top billing in the Thoroughbred Poll with 29 first-place votes and 382 points. The daughter of Midnight Lute has been cooling her heels since her runner-up finish in the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 29.

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner Mucho Gusto remains second with 311 points with By My Standards (1 first-place vote, 292 points) in third.

Zulu Alpha (1 first-place vote, 198 points) continues to hold down the fourth spot followed by multiple Grade 1-winner Ce Ce (182 points). Maximum Security (7 first-place votes, 134 points) is sixth just a couple points ahead of Tom’s d’Etat (1 first-place vote, 132 points). Monomoy Girl’s presence in the eighth position marks the only new addition to this week’s poll and she is followed in the rankings by Grade 1-winner Whitmore (86 points) and Mr Freeze (72) to complete the top 10.

Tiz the Law (25 points) was not ranked in the top 10 but did receive one first-place vote.

There were no changes in this week’s NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll as unbeaten Nadal remains out front with 20 first-place votes and 376 points. Tiz the Law (17 first-place votes, 362 points) is solidly in second followed by stablemates Charlatan (2 first-place votes, 326 points) and Authentic (1 first-place vote, 286 points).

King Guillermo (189 points) ranks fifth with the John Shirreffs-trained Honor A. P. (149) in sixth. Sole Volante (106 points) is just in front of stablemate Ete Indien (105) for the seventh and eighth spots, respectively, with Grade 1-winner Maxfield (77) and Basin (54) rounding 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 3-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders’ Cup in November.

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

https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-may-18-2020/

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

https://mk0ntrauj6jy9vera.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Polls-week12-by_voter-2020.pdf