Vekoma Takes Over Top Spot in NTRA Poll

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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Vekoma prepares for morning exercise July 10 at the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course

With Midnight Bisou and Tom's d'Etat both suffering defeats in their respective grade 1 races at Saratoga Race Course this past weekend, multiple top-level winner Vekoma gained the majority of support among voters to move into the No. 1 position on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Vekoma has been flawless in his 4-year-old campaign to date, winning all three of his outings including victories in the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1) and Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1). The son of Candy Ride  surged to the top of this week's poll with 13 first-place votes and 321 total points and is expected to make his next start in the Forego Stakes Presented by America's Best Racing (G1) Aug. 29 at Saratoga.

Tom's d'Etat could have made a case to move into the No. 1 slot with a victory in last Saturday's Whitney Stakes (G1) but the 7-year-old stumbled out of the gate en route to a third-place finish. The son of Smart Strike still earned six first-place votes and 299 points to hold onto the No. 2 spot while his Whitney conqueror Improbable moved into the third position with six first-place votes and 278 points. 

Midnight Bisou, who had held the top spot in the poll since March 10, dropped to fifth with one first-place vote and 248 points after she finished second as the favorite behind Vexatious in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1). 

Ahead of his expected run in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 8 at Saratoga, Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Tiz the Law remains the clear choice in the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll with 40 first-place votes and 400 total points.

NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Rank, Horse, Points (first-place votes)

1. Vekoma    321 (13)

2. Tom's d'Etat    299 (6)

3. Improbable    278 (6)

4. Maximum Security    256 (9)

5. Midnight Bisou    248 (1)

6. Zulu Alpha    140

7. Monomoy Girl    120 (2)

8. Tiz the Law    118 (3)

9. By My Standards    112

10. Volatile    56

NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

Rank, Horse, Points (first-place votes)

1. Tiz the Law    400 (40)

2. Honor A. P.    300

3. Authentic    280

4. Art Collector    276

5. Uncle Chuck    180

6. Thousand Words    138

7. Ny Traffic    112

8. King Guillermo    106

9. Swiss Skydiver    89

10. Gamine    84