Mucho Gusto Moves Into Top 10 of NTRA 3-Year-Old Poll

An open-length victory in the grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Feb. 2 at Santa Anita Park was enough to earn Mucho Gusto a place in the top 10 in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association top 3-year-old poll. 

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Mucho Gusto became the latest sophomore from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to stamp himself within the division. He debuts at No. 4 in this week's poll.

"This is the time of the year when you want to start getting excited about something (on the Triple Crown trail)," Baffert said after the race. "We're still dreaming in Technicolor, but they have to start performing and they have to move forward from here, but it's a fun position to be in."

Baffert trainees make up three of the top four spots in the poll. Eclipse Award winner Game Winner remains in first with 37 first-place votes and 405 points. Improbable is second (3 first-place votes, 350 points) with War of Will, trained by Mark Casse, sitting third (1 first-place vote, 273 points). 

Top 3-year-old poll

Rank    horse    points (first-place votes)

1.    Game Winner    405 (37)

2.    Improbable    350 (3)

3.    War of Will    273 (1)

4.    Mucho Gusto    220

5.    Instagrand    163

6.    Knicks Go    135

7.    Hidden Scroll    118

8.    Signalman    102

9.    Gunmetal Gray    88

10.    Tax    66

Battle of Midway Enters Overall Poll

A gritty effort from Battle of Midway in the grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita Saturday allowed the son of Smart Strike to make an appearance in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. With jockey Flavien Prat in the irons, Battle of Midway prevailed by half a length over McKinzie to earn the fourth position among poll voters with 224 points, including one first-place vote. 

Top Thoroughbred poll

Rank    horse    points (first-place votes)

1.    City of Light     369 (36)

2.    Monomoy Girl    295 (5)

3.    Roy H    267

4.    Battle of Midway    224 (1)

5.    Bricks and Mortar    220

6.    Accelerate     208

7.    McKinzie    154

8.    Seeking the Soul    141

9.    Sistercharlie    86

10.    Game Winner    76

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll concludes Nov. 4 after the running of the Breeders' Cup. The Top 3-Year-Old Poll concludes June 8 after the Belmont Stakes (G1).

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll can be found on the NTRA website.