Diversify cracks NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll off big win

Diversify cracked the top 10 in this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll off his front-running score in Saturday’s Suburban Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park. Trained by Rick Violette for father-daughter Ralph Evans and Lauren Evans, the 5-year-old gelding landed in 10th on this week’s rankings, which are based on a vote of racing media, with 73 points. 

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify maintained his clear advantage as the top racehorse in the U.S., tallying 429 points from 42 first-place votes (worth 10 points each) and one second-place vote (9 points), cast once again by Horse Racing Radio Network and New York Racing Association broadcaster Anthony Stabile. The dissenting first-place vote by Stabile went instead to Mind Your Biscuits, the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) winner who is aiming to stretch out around two turns in the Aug. 4 Whitney (G1) and rated sixth (190 points) in this week’s poll.

Justify – trained by Bob Baffert for owners China Horse Club, WinStar Farm, Starlight Racing, and Head of Plains Partners – is a perfect six-for-six since winning on debut in February and also won an allowance race and the Santa Anita Derby (G1) before his historic sweep of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the Preakness Stakes (G1), and the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1). He remains in light training but has not posted an official breeze since before he finished off the Triple Crown.

Bee Jersey, who defeated Mind Your Biscuits in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), also known as the Met Mile, last time out, fell from fifth last week to seventh this week.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport’s most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, which continues until November 5, after the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-july-9-2018.

Full accounting of top 10 votes by voter: https://www.ntra.com/wp-content/uploads/Polls-week24-by_voter-2018.pdf.