Authentic finishes career atop NTRA Thoroughbred, 3-year-old polls
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Photo:
Coady Photography
At the conclusion of the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 7, little question remained as to who the top horse in the country was. After putting an emphatic stamp on his career with a track record-setting triumph in the 10-furlong test at Keeneland, Authentic stands above his classmates and older rivals as he leads the final editions of both the 2020 National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll and NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm, My RaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing, Authentic retired to Spendthrift Farm Monday morning after capping off a career that saw him win six of eight starts, with five of those victories coming this season. The son Into Mischief came into the Breeders’ Cup having already earned top-level wins in the Kentucky Derby and Haskell Stakes this year but it was his gate-to-wire, 2 1/4-length victory over stablemate Improbable in the Classic that had trainer Bob Baffert proclaiming him the best in the nation.
Poll voters concurred. Not only does Authentic maintain his lead in the Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll, with 37 first-place votes and 370 points, the bay colt takes over the No. 1 spot in the Top Thoroughbred Poll, with 34 first-place votes and 355 points.
“He won the Kentucky Derby, the grand jewel of them all, and then beats one of the toughest, deepest Breeders’ Cup fields that I’ve ever been in,” Baffert said after Authentic arrived at Spendthrift Farm Monday morning. “There is really not a whole lot more that a horse can accomplish. I think he’s proven he is the best of his class, he was the best of the year. One thing about him, these great horses, he could have won the Sprint, the (Dirt) Mile, or the Classic. I’m just so fortunate and blessed that I got to train him.”
Improbable, who also is trained by Baffert, drops one spot to No. 2 on the Top Thoroughbred Poll, with 2 first-place votes and 311 points after having his three-race win streak broken by Authentic in the Classic. The son of City Zip also retired after the Breeders’ Cup to join the stallion roster at WinStar Farm.
Champion Monomoy Girl carved out a bit of history for herself on Saturday by becoming only the fourth horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff twice. The daughter of Tapizar, who was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale Sunday evening, lands in the third spot on the Top Thoroughbred Poll, with 1 first-place vote and 309 points.
Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma, who also joins the Spendthrift Farm stallion roster for 2021, ranks fourth, with 132 points, followed by Preakness Stakes heroine Swiss Skydiver (111 points) and Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law (107). Gamine, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, ranks seventh, with 104 points, followed by multiple Grade 1 winner and Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Rushing Fall (100 points), who sold for $5.5 million to representatives of Coolmore Stud at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Fan favorite Whitmore, who earned a stirring victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, ranks ninth, with 97 points, while champion Maximum Security (82 points) rounds out the top 10. NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL
Coming in behind Authentic on the Top 3-Year-Old Poll is Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law, who holds onto the second spot with 306 points. Swiss Skydiver ranks third with 295 points followed by fellow Grade 1 winner Happy Saver (259 points) and Honor A. P. (185).
Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (115 points) sits in the sixth spot ahead of Art Collector (89 points) and Jesus’ Team (74). Max Player (62 points) and Mystic Guide (53) complete the top 10. NTRA TOP 3-YEAR-OLD POLL
Owned by Spendthrift Farm, My RaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing, Authentic retired to Spendthrift Farm Monday morning after capping off a career that saw him win six of eight starts, with five of those victories coming this season. The son Into Mischief came into the Breeders’ Cup having already earned top-level wins in the Kentucky Derby and Haskell Stakes this year but it was his gate-to-wire, 2 1/4-length victory over stablemate Improbable in the Classic that had trainer Bob Baffert proclaiming him the best in the nation.
Poll voters concurred. Not only does Authentic maintain his lead in the Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll, with 37 first-place votes and 370 points, the bay colt takes over the No. 1 spot in the Top Thoroughbred Poll, with 34 first-place votes and 355 points.
“He won the Kentucky Derby, the grand jewel of them all, and then beats one of the toughest, deepest Breeders’ Cup fields that I’ve ever been in,” Baffert said after Authentic arrived at Spendthrift Farm Monday morning. “There is really not a whole lot more that a horse can accomplish. I think he’s proven he is the best of his class, he was the best of the year. One thing about him, these great horses, he could have won the Sprint, the (Dirt) Mile, or the Classic. I’m just so fortunate and blessed that I got to train him.”
Improbable, who also is trained by Baffert, drops one spot to No. 2 on the Top Thoroughbred Poll, with 2 first-place votes and 311 points after having his three-race win streak broken by Authentic in the Classic. The son of City Zip also retired after the Breeders’ Cup to join the stallion roster at WinStar Farm.
Champion Monomoy Girl carved out a bit of history for herself on Saturday by becoming only the fourth horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff twice. The daughter of Tapizar, who was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale Sunday evening, lands in the third spot on the Top Thoroughbred Poll, with 1 first-place vote and 309 points.
Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma, who also joins the Spendthrift Farm stallion roster for 2021, ranks fourth, with 132 points, followed by Preakness Stakes heroine Swiss Skydiver (111 points) and Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law (107). Gamine, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, ranks seventh, with 104 points, followed by multiple Grade 1 winner and Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Rushing Fall (100 points), who sold for $5.5 million to representatives of Coolmore Stud at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Fan favorite Whitmore, who earned a stirring victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, ranks ninth, with 97 points, while champion Maximum Security (82 points) rounds out the top 10. NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL
| HORSE | A-S | STATS | POINTS | PVS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AUTHENTIC (37) | 3-C | 7-5-2-0 | 370 | 1 |
| 2 | TIZ THE LAW | 3-C | 6-4-1-0 | 306 | 2 |
| 3 | SWISS SKYDIVER | 3-F | 10-5-2-1 | 295 | 3 |
| 4 | GAMINE | 3-C | 6-4-0-1 | 259 | 7 |
| 5 | HAPPY SAVER | 3-C | 4-4-0-0 | 185 | 5 |
| 6 | HONOR A.P. | 3-R | 4-1-2-0 | 115 | 6 |
| 7 | SHEDARESTHEDEVIL | 3-F | 7-4-1-2 | 89 | 8 |
| 8 | ART COLLECTOR | 3-C | 6-4-0-0 | 74 | 4 |
| 9 | JESUS' TEAM | 3-C | 9-2-3-2 | 62 | 11 |
| 10 | MAX PLAYER | 3-C | 5-1-0-2 | 53 | 9 |
Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (115 points) sits in the sixth spot ahead of Art Collector (89 points) and Jesus’ Team (74). Max Player (62 points) and Mystic Guide (53) complete the top 10. NTRA TOP 3-YEAR-OLD POLL
| HORSE | A-S | STATS | POINTS | PVS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AUTHENTIC (37) | 3-C | 7-5-2-0 | 370 | 1 |
| 2 | TIZ THE LAW | 3-C | 6-4-1-0 | 306 | 2 |
| 3 | SWISS SKYDIVER | 3-F | 10-5-2-1 | 295 | 3 |
| 4 | HAPPY SAVER | 3-C | 4-4-0-0 | 259 | 5 |
| 5 | HONOR A.P. | 3-R | 4-1-2-0 | 185 | 6 |
| 6 | SHEDARESTHEDEVIL | 3-F | 7-4-1-2 | 115 | 8 |
| 7 | ART COLLECTOR | 3-C | 6-4-0-0 | 89 | 4 |
| 8 | JESUS' TEAM | 3-C | 9-2-3-2 | 74 | 11 |
| 9 | MAX PLAYER | 3-C | 5-1-0-2 | 62 | 9 |
| 10 | MYSTIC GUIDE | 3-C | 6-2-2-2 | 53 | 10 |
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