Travers Winner Code of Honor Cracks NTRA Poll
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Code of Honor wins the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
The slew of top performances on the blockbuster Aug. 24 card at Saratoga Race Course produced some shifts among the top 10 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll, with the most notable change being the addition of Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Code of Honor.
Owned and bred by William S. Farish and trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Code of Honor added another layer of intrigue to the parity-laden sophomore male division when he scored a three-length win in the 150th edition of the Travers. That triumph gave the chestnut son of Noble Mission his first career grade 1 victory and earned him 80 points among poll voters, good enough to land in the 10th position this week.
Bricks and Mortar remains the runaway poll leader, but top distaffer Midnight Bisou snagged five first-place votes and 360 points to take over the No. 2 position from McKinzie after running down Elate to win the Personal Ensign Stakes Presented by Lia Infiniti (G1).
NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll
Rank, Horse, Points (first-place votes)
1. Bricks and Mortar 431 (37)
2. Midnight Bisou 360 (5)
3. McKinzie 336 (2)
4. Mitole 298
5. Sistercharlie 277
6. World of Trouble 141
7. Elate 98
8. Imperial Hint 87
9. Maximum Security 81
10. Code of Honor 80