Following a dominant 5 1/4-length win in the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) March 21 at Oaklawn Park Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking is climbing his way back up the leaderboard in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll.
The son of Exaggerator kicked off his 7-year-old campaign Jan. 24 with his first grade 1 victory in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park. The first NTRA rankings of the year were released the following week, with Skippylongstocking debuting in second behind reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty.
Between starts, Skippylongstocking dropped to sixth place in the rankings as Forever Young (JPN), Nysos, Knightsbridge, and Magnitude all posted performances that ranked them higher in the weekly poll by the national media. Skippylongstocking's victory Saturday raised him back up to fourth, passing Knightsbridge (fifth) and Magnitude (sixth), and earned him one first-place vote.
After winning the Louisiana Derby (G2) Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Emerging Market also debuted on the NTRA's Top 3-Year-Old Poll. Klaravich Stables' Candy Ride colt placed sixth on the poll after a pair of victories in two starts to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
The rankings are in for a likely shakeup this weekend as six of the top 10-ranked 3-year-olds are entered in either the Florida Derby (G1) or Arkansas Derby (G1). Likewise, in the Thoroughbred poll, second-ranked Forever Young and Magnitude are entered in the Dubai World Cup (G1), as is 15th-ranked Hit Show.
