Pacific Classic hero Higher Power enters NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Photo: Eclipse Sportswire

The first graded stakes victory of Higher Power’s career proved eye-catching enough to voters as the 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro debuted in the 10th position in this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.
Trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing, Higher Power notched a 5 ¼- length victory in Saturday's Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar – his first stakes win in 13 career starts. That effort against a field which included Grade 1 winners Seeking the Soul and Pavel was enough to earn Higher Power 42 points in this week’s balloting, sliding him into the tenth spot after previously being unranked.
“We’re so blessed to have great horses and a great trainer with a great staff,” owner Kosta Hronis said after the race. “I can’t say enough about that.”

The appearance of Higher Power marked the only major shift within the poll’s Top 10 this week.

As he has for nearly five months now, multiple Grade 1 winner Bricks and Mortar holds down the top position with authority, earning 36 first-place votes. The son of Giant’s Causeway has won all five of his starts in 2019 with his most recent victory coming when he captured the Aug. 10. Arlington Million (G1).

Three in the Top 10 are expected to race on Travers Stakes (G1) weekend with No. 4 Midnight Bisou and No. 9 Elate to meet in the Personal Ensign (G1) and No. 5 Mitole returning from his only defeat this season in the Forego (G1).

The only 3-year-old ranked, Maximum Security, will bypass the Travers in favor of the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1).

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll is 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.

The Top Thoroughbred Poll wraps up November 4 after the running of the Breeders’ Cup.

Other horses receiving votes: CATALINA CRUISER (33), THUNDER SNOW (31), DUNBAR ROAD (27), CONCRETE ROSE (27), VINO ROSSO (19), RUSHING FALL (15), GUARANA (14), GOT STORMY (12), MR. MONEY (10), YOSHIDA (9), VASILIKA (9), COVFEFE (7), SHANCELOT (7), X Y JET (6), CATHOLIC BOY (6), SEEKING THE SOUL (5), ROY H (4), OMAHA BEACH (2), CHANNEL MAKER (2)

Full accounting of top 10 votes by voter can be found at: https://www.ntra.com/wp-content/uploads/Polls-week30-by_voter-2019.pdf

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