IN A NUTSHELL: The just-concluded Breeders’ Cup led to substantial shuffling of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, with Turf winner Main Sequence, owner of four Grade 1 victories this season, earning the top spot.

NINE OUTTA TEN AIN’T BAD: Nine of 10 horses listed in the final poll participated in the Breeders’ Cup races; the lone exception was defending Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who was injured.

WINNING: Five of 10 horses listed won a Breeders’ Cup race this past weekend.  In addition to the aforementioned Wise Dan, the exceptions were California Chrome, Shared Belief, Tonalist, and Palace Malice.  The first three ran three-four-five in the Classic.

OR NOT: Only one horse on the top 10 lost more races than he won this year: Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, who won two of five starts.  The group as a whole won 44 of 62 starts.

FROM THE CLOUDS: One runner, Work All Week, did not receive a single vote in the prior poll; he is tenth in the final poll, however, after scoring an upset in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

SPLITTING THE VOTE: Six different horses received at least one first-place vote.  They were Main Sequence (20), Bayern (13), California Chrome (5), Wise Dan (5), Untapable (4), Shared Belief (1).

A TRUE CLASSIC: Four horses that contested the Breeders’ Cup Classic finished in the top 10: Bayern, who won; California Chrome (3rd), Shared Belief (4th), and Tonalist (5th).

WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ TURF (EXCEPT MAYBE A LITTLE): Only two horses that compete primarily on turf showed up in the last top 10.  But those two — Main Sequence and Wise Dan — finished first and sixth, respectively, and and garnered the most and third-most first place votes.

AGE AND SEX: The list includes five three-year-olds (Shared Belief, California Chrome, Bayern, Untapable, and Tonalist) and just one female (Untapable).  Oddly, four of the top five vote-getters in the also-receiving-votes range were females.

NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL

  1. Main Sequence
  2. Bayern
  3. California Chrome
  4. Untapable
  5. Shared Belief
  6. Wise Dan
  7. Goldencents
  8. Tonalist
  9. Palace Malice
  10. Work All Week

Note: The Racing Biz writers Nick Hahn and Frank Vespe are voters in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.