Elite Power (#4 inside) battles Gunite (#5 rail) for honors in the G1 Vanderbilt (Angelo Lieto)
Maribeth Kalinich/NTRA Release
Juddmonte’s Elite Power went to the top of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll this week for trainer Bill Mott based on his victory by a head over Gunite in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.
This was Elite Power’s eighth consecutive victory with five of those being in graded stakes.
Godolphin’s Cody’s Wish remains a strong second with his third-place performance in the Grade 1 Whitney where he was leaning on the right side of the stall a bit unprepared for the start when the latch was sprung and lost his hind footing skidding out of the gate and conceding three to four lengths to the front before settling into stride. Trainer Mott is one, two in the Poll.
The lovely Nest sits in third for owners Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House. The Curlin filly won the Grade 2 Scuvee over rival Clairiere.
Rounding out the top five is C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano’s Grade 1 Whitney champ White Abarrio for his new trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr., in his first stakes win at Saratoga since being reinstated.
Week 28 of the 2023 NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), covering racing performances through August 6. Voting is conducted by national media.
The Top Thoroughbred poll represents horses competing for Horse of the Year. The Top Thoroughbred Poll concludes on Tuesday, November 7 following the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll – August 7, 2023
| HORSE | A-S | STATS | POINTS | PVS | |
| 1 | ELITE POWER (20) | 5-H | 3-3-0-0 | 317 | 2 |
| 2 | CODY’S WISH (6) | 5-H | 3-2-0-1 | 261 | 1 |
| 3 | NEST | 4-F | 1-1-0-0 | 232 | 3 |
| 4 | UP TO THE MARK | 4-C | 5-4-0-1 | 167 | 5 |
| 5 | WHITE ABARRIO | 4-C | 4-2-0-1 | 157 | 29 |
| 6 | CLAIRIERE | 5-M | 4-2-2-0 | 137 | 6 |
| 7 | FORTE (2) | 3-C | 4-3-1-0 | 119 | 7 |
| 8 | MAPLE LEAF MEL (7) | 3-C | 4-3-0-0 | 89 | 31 |
| 9 | WEST WILL POWER | 6-H | 4-2-1-1 | 59 | 4 |
| 10 | IN ITALIAN | 5-M | 3-2-1-0 | 47 | 9 |
Other horses receiving votes: Goodnight Olive (42), Caravel (33), Geaux Rocket Ride (32), Gunite (31), Mage (31), Pretty Mischievous (29), Proxy (20), Art Collector (20), Defunded (17), Rattle N Roll (16), Arcangelo (16), Echo Zulu (14), Arabian Lion (11), Adare Manor (10), New York Thunder (5), Zandon (5), Next (2), The Chosen Vron (2), Senor Buscador (2), McKulick (1), Channel Maker (1)
Rankings on polls are on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1 basis with first place votes in parentheses, 2023 record and total points. A-S: Age-Sex, Sex: C-colt, G-gelding, H-horse, F-filly, M-mare, R-ridgling.
