Racing Dudes Divisional Rankings 9/29/20: Improbable Makes Strong Statement

Welcome to the 2020 Divisional Rankings! Each week, we rank the best thoroughbred horses in America based on their divisions. Let’s take a look at the rankings, including my last vote in the NTRA Top 10 Poll:

Overall Rankings

Here are my overall rankings as seen in the latest NTRA Top 10 Poll this week. The poll ranks the top thoroughbred horses based on if Horse of the Year voting was conducted at this very moment. Here’s what my latest Top 10 poll looked like:

1. Improbable  
2. Tom’s d’Etat
3. Tiz the Law
4. Maximum Security
5. Vekoma 
6. Authentic   
7. Monomoy Gril
8. By My Standard 
9. Rushing Fall   
10. United       

Older Males

1. Improbable – His ultra-impressive Awesome Again Stakes (G1) win gives him 3 straight Grade 1 triumphs. 

2.  Tom’s d’Etat – A terrible stumble from the gate cost him all chance in the Whitney Stakes (G1).

3. Maximum Security – He suffered his first defeat of the season in the Awesome Again Stakes (G1). 

4. By My Standards – A solid Alysheba Stakes (G3) win put this horse back on the Breeders’ Cup radar. 

5. Zulu Alpha – He finished third in the Kentucky Turf Cup (G3), but the track was a complete mess by the time that he ran. 

Sleeper: Global Campaign – He earned the biggest win of his career in the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. 

Older Females

1. Monomoy Girl – The queen is back on top after another awesome win in the La Troienne Stakes (G2). 

2. Rushing Fall – The turf rocket just continues to dazzle year after year. She was sensational once again in the Diana Stakes (G1).

3. Midnight Bisou –  She gets a pass for now, but her Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) effort was not great. She recently suffered an injury during training, putting her future racing career in doubt.

4. Dunbar Road – She’s looked sharp in both 2020 starts, including the Delaware Handicap (G2) last time out.

5. Fighting Mad – Her winning streak came to an end in the Zenyatta Stakes (G2), where she finished third.

Sleeper: Beau Recall – She deserves credit for beating Newspaperofrecord in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2).

3-Year-Old Males

1. Tiz the Law – He lost the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he still deserves to be the top-ranked 3-year-old after running extremely well in defeat. 

2. Authentic – After upsetting the Kentucky Derby (G1), he could overtake Tiz the Law with repeat success in the Preakness Stakes (G1). 

3. Art Collector – A minor foot issued forced him out of the Kentucky Derby (G1). The Preakness Stakes (G1) is his next target. 

4. Honor A. P. – He’s off to the breeding shed after suffering an injury while finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

5. King Guillermo – Unfortunately, he’s back on the farm and may not be seen again this season. 

Sleeper: Thousand Words – He’ll live to fight another day in the Preakness Stakes (G1) after flipping in the paddock and scratching out of the Derby. 

3-Year-Old Females

1. Swiss Skydiver – Her consistency is incredible. She ran a winning race in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) but came up just a bit short. She runs this weekend in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

2. Shedaresthedevil – Her Kentucky Oaks (G1) upset gave her a major boost in the rankings. 

3. Gamine – The Kentucky Oaks (G1) distance seemed to be a bit too much for her, but she still held on for third. 

4. Harvest Moon – She picked up a big win against older horses in the Zenyatta Stakes (G2).

5. Speech – She ran decently in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) but was no match for the top trio.

Sleeper: Bonny South – This filly could make an impact in some of the smaller races left on the calendar.

Sprinters

1. Vekoma – He earned the top spot with a monster effort in the Met Mile (G1) over a tremendous field. 

2. C Z Rocket – The amazing Peter Miller has turned this horse into a monster, with his latest winning coming in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2).

3. Volatile – Unfortunately, he was injured and had to be retired way too soon.

4. Whitmore – We’ll give him a pass for a poor effort in the Forego Stakes (G1), which was held under a downpour. 

5. Firenze Fire – His latest win in the Vosburgh Stakes (G2) puts him back on the map. 

Sleeper: Yaupon – He’s now undefeated through 3 career starts after trouncing his rivals in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2).

2-Year-Old Males

1. Jackie’s Warrior – He won 2 stakes at Saratoga this summer in dominant fashion, making him the top horse for now.

2. Dr. Schivel – Back-to-back wins at Del Mar have this horse looking great heading into the fall. 

3. Reinvestment Risk – He came up short in the Hopeful Stakes (G1), but he still ran a solid race. 

4. Sittin On Go – His upset Iroquois Stakes (G3) victory puts him on the radar. 

5. Mutasaabeq – Look for this horse to blossom as the distances get longer. 

Sleeper: Get Her Number – A solid win in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) gives this horse an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). 

2-Year-Old Females

1.  Princess Noor – She’s now a perfect 3-for-3 after another dominant win in the Chandelier Stakes (G2).

2. Vequist – Her Spinaway Stakes (G1) win was eye-catching as she cruised home to win by over 9 lengths. 

3. Dayoutoftheoffice – She won the Schuylerville Stakes (G3) in dominant fashion. 

4. Thoughtfully – The Adirondack Stakes (G2) winner could have a big future ahead of her. 

5. Girl Daddy – A solid victory in the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) has this filly on the right path. 

Sleeper: Cantata – She won impressively on debut at Saratoga and should appear next in a major stakes.