Sistercharlie, Elate Earn Spots in NTRA Poll

The successful return of reigning champion turf female Sistercharlie to the races and Elate's display of class July 13 helped launch the two distaffers into the top 10 of this week's NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

In her first start since capturing the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs last November, Peter Brant's Sistercharlie picked up right where she left off when she headed up a six-horse field in the Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course July 13. Facing three stablemates, including multiple grade 1 winner Rushing Fall, Sistercharlie led a sweep of the top three positions for trainer Chad Brown when she prevailed by 1 3/4 lengths to earn her fifth career top-level triumph.

That effort was good enough for the 5-year-old mare to vault into sixth position on the NTRA poll with 189 points.

She is likely to join fellow Brown trainee and NTRA poll leader Bricks and Mortar (32 first-place votes, 406 points) on the trip to Arlington International Racecourse for Aug. 10 as they are being pointed to the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) and Arlington Million XXXVII (G1T), respectively. Bricks and Mortar has held the top position in the poll since April 8.

Multiple grade 1 winner Elate was the other new addition to this week's rankings, notching 54 points to land the 10th spot. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Elate garnered favor from voters on the strength of a 4 1/2-length victory in the Delaware Handicap (G2)—a race she also captured in 2018. The win was the second straight for the 5-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  as she entered off a 1 1/2-length triumph in the Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) June 15.

Horses trained by Brown and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen make up four of the top six positions in the NTRA poll. Asmussen-conditioned grade 1 winners Mitole (seven first-place votes, 371 points) and Midnight Bisou (two first-place votes, 283 points) maintain second and third, respectively, with Bob Baffert-trained McKinzie (262 points) fourth and Jason Servis runner World of Trouble (214) fifth. 

Dallas Stewart-trained Seeking the Soul (90 points) is seventh behind Sistercharlie. Two-time Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emriates Airline (G1) winner Thunder Snow (one first-place vote, 86 points) is eighth, followed by grade 1 winner Vino Rosso (72 points) in the ninth spot.

The Top Thoroughbred Poll concludes Nov. 4 after the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Rank, Horse, Points (first-place votes)

1. Bricks and Mortar    406 (32)

2. Mitole    371 (7)

3. Midnight Bisou    283 (2)

4. McKinzie    262

5. World of Trouble    214

6. Sistercharlie    189

7. Seeking the Soul    90

8. Thunder Snow    86 (1)

9. Vino Rosso    72

10. Elate    54