New no. 1 racehorse: Thorpedo Anna replaces Fierceness

After her gritty win Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx, 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna has replaced 3-year-old colt Fierceness as the top-ranked racehorse in the weekly poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

The 35th poll of the year covers racing performances through Sunday. Voting is conducted among selected members of the national media.

Flashback: Thorpedo Anna wins by a neck in Cotillion.

Thorpedo Anna came from behind to win by a neck in the Cotillion, her last race before she lines up in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Fierceness, who won last month in the Travers (G1) and is training up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, dropped from first to second place despite getting one more first-place vote than Thorpedo Anna. The difference between them was only two points, the equivalent of a ninth-place vote in the format that awards horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for top-10 votes.

Adare Manor, who won the Clement L. Hirsch (G1), and her Bob Baffert stablemate National Treasure, the Met Mile (G1) winner who was sixth in the Whitney (G1), came in third and fourth in that order.

Next, the Greenwood Cup (G3) who was 11th last week, moved into the top 10 at no. 8. Pennsylvania Derby (G1) victor Seize the Grey, who was 40th and among the other horses receiving votes a week ago, leaped to no. 9.

The top Thoroughbred poll represents horses who are competing for horse of the year in the Eclipse Awards, which are voted on by racecourse officials and media members, some of whom work for tracks.

Other horses receiving votes: Señor Buscador 54, The Chosen Vron 35, Carl Spackler 27, Arthur’s Ride 19, Mullikin 17, Raging Sea 17, Sweet Azteca 14, Nations Pride 13, Kingsbarns 9, Domestic Product 8, Society 8, Sierra Leone 7, Master Of The Seas 6, Far Bridge 5, Muth 4, Jonathan’s Way 4, Win For The Money 3, Skippylongstocking 3, Iscreamuscream 2, Post Time 1, Johannes 1, Raging Torrent 1, Saudi Crown 1.

This is how Thorpedo Anna and Fierceness were graded by voters: