Destin Danzing Candy, respective winners of classics preps on the East Coast and West Coast March 12, made the top five in this week’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association top 3-year-old poll released March 14.
Rankings are based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis with first-place votes in parenthesis. Voting is from racing media and industry insiders.
Danzing Candy took the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park and Destin in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) at Tampa Bay Downs.
Unbeaten standouts Mohaymen (413 points and 27 first-place votes) and Nyquist (367 points)—expected to meet in the April 2 Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park—remained the leading sophomores, respectively.
Songbird (281), the leading 3-year-old filly with two easy wins this year and undefeated in six starts overall, crept up a spot to third as the previous holder of that slot, Mor Spirit (191), faltered with a tough trip in the San Felipe and fell to seventh. Destin earned 216 votes, while Danzing Candy tallied 210 points from voters.
The NTRA top 3-year-old poll is the sport’s most comprehensive survey ranking the generation of Thoroughbreds that includes all Triple Crown contenders. Every week, as many as 50 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.
In the top Thoroughbred poll for horses 4 and up, California Chrome (404 points and 26 first-place votes) remains the leader on the basis of one minor stakes win this year. That race, however, set up the 5-year-old for a much tougher test to come March 26 in the world’s richest race, the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I).
The top three older horses were rounded out by 6-year-old Mshawish (301), winner of Gulfstream’s Donn Handicap (gr. I) in his last start, and 5-year-old mare Tepin (244), who moved up the ranks after a convincing win in Saturday’s Hillsborough Stakes (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Tampa Bay. In the last slot of the top 10 was Melatonin (80), the surprise gate-to-wire winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I).
Three-Year-Old Poll
Rank, Horse (First-Place Votes)—Points
1 Mohaymen (27)—413
2 Nyquist (8)—367
3 Songbird (7)—281
4 Destin (1)—216
5 Danzing Candy (1)—210
6 Mor Spirit (1)—191
7 Gun Runner—147
8 Shagaf—147
9 Suddenbreakingnews—85
10 Cathryn Sophia—82
Other horses receiving votes: Zulu (65), Exaggerator (61), Mo Tom (58), Greenpointcrusader (38), Outwork (14), Catch a Glimpse (9), Bird Song (9), Whitmore (6), Swipe (4), Brody’s Cause (3), Frank Conversation (3), Tusk (2), Malibu Sunset (2), Sunny Ridge (2), Awesome Banner (2), Matt King Coal (1), Rachel’s Valentina (1), Smokey Image (1)
Top Thoroughbred Poll
Rank, Horse (First-Place Votes)—Points
1 California Chrome (26)—404
2 Mshawish (6)—301
3 Tepin—244
4 Frosted (2)—228
5 Beholder (3)—208
6 Songbird (3)—195
7 Mohaymen (3)—167
8 Runhappy—95
9 Nyquist (1)—94
10 Melatonin—80
Other horses receiving votes: Hoppertunity (65), Cathryn Sophia (27), X Y Jet (23), Kobe’s Back (22), Lukes Alley (22), Blofeld (17), Heart to Heart (17), Effinex (14), Flintshire (11), Dortmund (9), What a View (8), Stopchargingmaria (7), Lady Eli (7), Page McKenney (6), Private Zone (5), Mexikoma (5), Keen Ice (5), Catch a Glimpse (5), Danzing Candy (5), Taris (5), Untapable (4), Hard Aces (4), Mr Maybe (3), Gun Runner (4), Chocolate Ride (3), Destin (3), Sheer Drama (2), Lady Shipman (2), Salutos Amigos (1), Melatonin (1)