Once again, there was little change in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Top Thoroughbred Poll, as Wise Dan — unraced since May — maintained a solid lead.

The seven-year-old Wiseman’s Ferry gelding, two-time defending Horse of the Year, has been working towards his return after missing time for colic surgery.  He is undefeated in two races this year and accrued 22 of 41 first-place votes.

Only minor shuffling occurred among the top 10, with no new runners in the list.  Palace Malice, third a week ago, inched past California Chrome into second; each has nine first-place votes.  And Moreno and Wicked Strong swapped places, the former moving up to eighth while the latter dropped to ninth.

Half the top 10 are three-year-olds, and two — Close Hatches and Untapable — are females.

NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL

  1. Wise Dan
  2. Palace Malice
  3. California Chrome
  4. Close Hatches
  5. Bayern
  6. Game on Dude
  7. Shared Belief
  8. Moreno
  9. Wicked Strong
  10. Untapable

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