Shifman: NTRA poll's current Top 10 an especially fast group

Deciding who gets my votes in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll on a weekly basis is never easy. But after last weekend’s graded stakes races, it became clear that the current Top 10 horses are an especially fast bunch.

Code of Honor, Vekoma, and Improbable are now ranked in the lastest poll after all three earned big Beyer Speed Figures in their victories.

To start them off, Code of Honor took over the No. 4 spot in the poll and received first-place votes based on his 2020 debut victory in the Westchester (G3) on a sloppy track at Belmont Park that earned a 101 Beyer. That was the third triple digit number of his career.

Vekoma made his first poll appearance in the No. 7 position. The son of Candy Ride won the Carter Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park by seven lengths against a strong field, getting a 110 Beyer. He now has triple-digit numbers in both of his starts this year, adding to Gulfstream's Sir Shackleton.

Improbable returned to the Top 10 at No. 8 with his first Grade 1 victory against older horses in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1). Even though it was not a particularly strong field, he measured a 105 Beyer, which is the second-highest of the year for older horses going a mile or more and also the top figure of his career.

We shouldn't take triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures for granted. I asked NYRA handicapper and Beyer expert Andy Serling about the frequency of 100-plus figures and he said, "It’s probably around 0.1% or less of all foals."

Let’s take a look at how the speed figures of these three newcomers fit in with the rest of ranked horses.

Second-ranked Mucho Gusto earned a 107 Beyer for his win in the Pegasus World Cup (G1). It's currently the top figure amongst older horses going a distance of ground.

No. 3 in the poll is By My Standards, who owns a perfect 3-for-3 record this year. The 4-year-old has a pair of Grade 2 victories which includes a 102 Beyer in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2).

The 7-year-old Tom’s d’Etat, who is currently fifth, has raced only once in 2020 when he won the Oaklawn Mile in April earning a 101 Beyer off the bench. The Al Stall Jr. trainee is pointing to the Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 27.

Zulu Alpha, at No. 6, is the lone turf horse in the Top 10. He is the winner of the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), a victory that got a 107 Beyer. He got another big number, 106, for his win in the Mac Diarmida (G2) the next month. Those are the two highest turf Beyers going a mile or more.

Coming off the bench in Sunday's Triple Bend, McKinzie eased by his rivals on the cutback to receive a 97 Beyer. Not his best, but it was a rebound from his no-show earlier this season in the Saudi Cup and sets him up for the Met Mile (G1) next.

The other two ranked horses don't show Beyers yet this season, as No. 1 Midnight Bisou and ninth-place Maximum Security made their only start in the Saudi Cup; international races aren't given official Beyers.