Gun Runner, Collected lead final NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll
In what's a likely preview of Horse of the Year voting, Gun Runner earned all 40 first-place votes in the final NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll released Monday, sitting atop the rankings as a unanimous No. 1.
The Breeders' Cup Classic winner finished a spot ahead of Collected both on and off the track, as the Bob Baffert trainee came in at No. 2 in the poll.
• RELATED: HRN writer Matt Shifman's final ballot with comments
Others in the top five were Distaff winner Forever Unbridled, Mile winner World Approval and West Coast, third in the Classic.
Four of those horses -- all but World Approval -- are under consideration to clash in the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The $16 million race is the world's richest.
Arrogate, Beach Patrol, Abel Tasman, Roy H and Lady Eli also appeared in the top 10.
NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll
1. Gun Runner
2. Collected
3. Forever Unbridled
4. World Approval
5. West Coast
6. Arrogate
7. Beach Patrol
8. Abel Tasman
9. Roy H
10. Lady Eli
Received votes: BATTLE OF MIDWAY (43), STELLAR WIND (22), BOLT D’ORO (15), GOOD MAGIC (14), ELATE (9), DREFONG (7), RUSHING FALL (7), LADY AURELIA (6), GUNNEVERA (6), TALISMANIC (5), DIVERSIFY (5), WUHEIDA (4). ALWAYS DREAMING (4), UNIQUE BELLA (4), MOR SPIRIT (4), MIND YOUR BISCUITS (3), SHARP AZTECA (2), WAR STORY (1), MENDELSSOHN (1), DISCO PARTNER (1)