Midnight Bisou Passes Maximum Security in NTRA Poll
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Photo: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Neville Hopwood
Midnight Bisou (inside) finishes second to Maximum Security in the Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack
Midnight Bisou landed the No. 1 spot on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll, previously held by Maximum Security, in the latest edition of the weekly poll.
The champion older female began her 5-year-old season with a runner-up finish in the Feb. 29, $20 million Saudi Cup in which she was beaten three-quarters of a length by Maximum Security. March 9 four federal indictments alleging doping-related charges against 27 individuals, including Maximum Security's trainer Jason Servis and trainer Jorge Navarro, were released in a United States District Court. The Servis indictment alleges that Maximum Security received performance-enhancing drugs.
The NTRA polls are typically released on Monday, but in the wake of the indictments, voters were given an extra day to adjust their selections if they chose to.
Last week Maximum Security received 42 first-place votes (all but one) and 422 points. This week he received 24 first-place votes and a total of 241 points, dropping him to fourth. The complete ballot of each voter this week shows that those who dropped him from first-place completely removed his name from their ballot.
Firenze Fire, another multiple graded stakes winner who was conditioned by Servis, only dropped from seventh to eighth in the poll, with points decreasing to 74 from 101.
Midnight Bisou was second last week with 369 points. This week she was up to 376 points with 16 first-place votes.
In the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll, Tiz the Law is now tied with Authentic for the No. 1 spot. The colts share 373 points. Tiz the Law received 22 first-place votes, while Authentic received 16 off his San Felipe Stakes (G2) win.
NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll
Rank, Horse, Points (first-place votes
1. Midnight Bisou 376 (16)
2. Mucho Gusto 316
3. Zulu Alpha 267 (1)
4. Maximum Security 241 (24)
5. Mr Freeze 159
6. Code of Honor 110
7. Combatant 95
8. Firenze Fire 74
9T. Hard Not to Love 56
9T. McKinzie 56
NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll
Rank, Horse, Points (first-place votes
1T. Authentic 373 (16)
1T. Tiz the Law 373 (22)
3. Ete Indien 254 (1)
4. Nadal 215
5. Honor A. P. 156
6. Silver Prospector 140 (2)
7. Sole Volante 137
8. Mischevious Alex 81
9. Independence Hall 70
10. Gouverneur Morris 68