Forte, Art Collector Continue to Lead NTRA Polls
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Nicole Thomas
Forte on his way to the post under Irad Ortiz Jr. before winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Forte and Art Collector continue to lead separate polls issued by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association March 15. Forte won the March 4 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park in his one start this year, while Art Collector triumphed earlier in the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream in his lone 2023 outing.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte received 31 of 32 first-place votes in the Top 3-Year-Old Poll, leaving him far ahead of second-place Practical Move , third-place Tapit Trice , and fourth-place Instant Coffee .
Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice was the biggest mover this week, advancing from 10th place after his last-to-first victory in the March 11 Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher trains Tapit Trice and Forte.
The first four in the Top Thoroughbred Poll—Art Collector, Country Grammer , Elite Power , and Stilleto Boy —retained their positions from last week. Surging into fifth and with one first-place vote was Briland Farms' Secret Oath , the 2022 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner who captured Saturday's Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park in her season debut for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Art Collector, Country Grammer, and Elite Power also received first-place votes—24, five, and two, respectively.
The NTRA polls are based on media votes and cover racing performances through March 12. The poll results and votes by each media member can be found online.