Racing Dudes Divisional Rankings 9/16/20: Breeders’ Cup Season Looms Large

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

Older Males

1. Maximum Security – He picked up another solid win in the Pacific Classic (G1) to remain undefeated this season. 

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

3. 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.

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. 

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

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

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 apparently suffering an injury while finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

5. King Guillermo – Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait until the Preakness Stakes (G1) to show us what he’s made of after a fever forced him to miss the Derby. 

Sleeper: Thousand Words – He’ll live to fight another day 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. 

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

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

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

3. C Z Rocket – Since being claimed by Peter Miller, this horse has turned into a monster. His Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) win earned him a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1).

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

5. Collusion Illusion – It wasn’t the strongest field, but he defeated older males in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) to earn his place in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

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: Spielberg – He may still be a maiden, but this horse has shown plenty of talent in 2 starts for Bob Baffert, who has repeatedly said that this horse needs more distance than what he’s gone so far.

2-Year-Old Females

1.  Princess Noor – She stands out so far in a big way after a dominating score in the Del Mar Debutante (G1).

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.