Racing Dudes Divisional Rankings 8/18/20: Swiss Skydiver 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. Tiz the Law
2. Maximum Security 
3. Tom’s d’Etat
4. Vekmoa
5. Zulu Alpha
6. Improbable 
7. Gamine
8. Midnight Bisou
9. Volatile
10. Rushing Fall     

Older Males

1. Maximum Security – He’s back on top of the division and has this weekend’s Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) in his sights.

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

3. Zulu Alpha – After a brief freshening, he came back as strong as ever with an impressive victory in the Elkhorn Stakes (G2).

4. Improbable – The Bob Baffert trainee is finally living up to the hype, earning back-to-back Grade 1 scores in the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Whitney Stakes.

5. Mucho Gusto – The Pegasus World Cup (G1) was his best career race by a wide margin.

Sleeper: By My Standards – He might be just a small cut below the best after another runner-up effort behind a higher-ranked foe.

Older Females

1. Midnight Bisou –  She gets a pass for now, but her Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) effort was not great. 

2. Rushing Fall – She is now a Grade 1 winner at ages 2 through 5 after capturing the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1).

3. Monomoy Girl – She is now 2-for-2 on the comeback trail after easily taking home the Ruffian Stakes (G2).

4. Fighting Mad –  She must be taken seriously after winning the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1).

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

Sleeper: Vexatious – A big upset win over Midnight Bisou in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) put her on our radar. 

3-Year-Old Males

1. Tiz the Law – He’s the undisputed champion after a breathtaking victory in the Travers Stakes (G1). 

2. Art Collector – He’s developed into the number-one upset contender after another impressive score in the Ellis Park Derby.

3. Honor A. P. – We’ll give him a pass for his Shared Belief Stakes loss because it was likely too short for him. 

4. Authentic – It was close, but he held on to win the Haskell Stakes (G1) to secure his place in the Kentucky Derby (G1) AND Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) starting gates.

5. King Guillermo – He backed up his impressive Tampa Bay Derby (G2) win with a runner-up effort in the Arkansas Derby (G1). 

Sleeper: Thousand Words – He could be coming on at the right time to make a big splash in the Kentucky Derby (G1). 

3-Year-Old Females

1. Gamine – She was sensational once again with a total romp in the Test Stakes (G1).

2. Swiss Skydiver – She can reclaim the top spot with a win in next month’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) after looking absolutely awesome in the Alabama Stakes (G1).

3. Speech – She showed up with a career-best performance to win the Ashland Stakes (G1).

4. Shedaresthedevil – This ultra-consistent filly destroyed her competition in the Indiana Oaks (G3).

5. Paris Lights – She fought hard to earn to win the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).

Sleeper: Tonalist’s Shape – She ran a dud in the CCA Oaks (G1), but she still has a strong resume. 

Sprinters

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

2. Volatile – He looked like a beast in the Vanderbilt Handicap (G1), defeating tough horses in gate-to-wire fashion. 

3. Whitmore – He continues to put up great efforts this year, most recently finishing second in the Vanderbilt Handicap (G1).

4. McKinzie – His total dud in the Met Mile (G1) was unexpected, but he reportedly lost both right-side shoes, so we will give him a slight pass.

5. New York Central – His Saudi Cup Sprint victory was very impressive. 

Sleeper: Shancelot – It will be interesting to see if he can still be effective under new trainer Steve Asmussen.