After surging past Sovereignty and Journalism in the stretch of the April 18 $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn Park, C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber, and La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio is surging up the ranks in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll.
The 7-year-old veteran son of Race Day earned strong recognition from the national media who vote on the weekly poll, climbing from 10th place in the prior week's rankings to second on the ones released April 21. Receiving 12 first-place votes and 281 cumulative points, he sits behind only Magnitude, winner of the Dubai World Cup (G1) last month, who received 16 first-place votes and 291 cumulative points.
Sovereignty, the reigning Horse of the Year and last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner, did not lose much stock when returning from an eight-month layoff and racing in the leading role for the first time. The Oaklawn Handicap runner-up only dropped from second to third. Journalism, the 2025 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, stayed in the same seventh-place ranking as the prior week after finishing third Saturday.
Meanwhile, only a minor change occurred in the NTRA's second-to-last Top 3-Year-Old poll before the May 2 Kentucky Derby as Chief Wallabee moved from eighth to seventh, knocking Silent Tactic down one spot. Renegade maintains the No. 1 spot in the rankings with 297 cumulative points and 19 first-place votes. With 200-plus cumulative points as well, Commandment, Further Ado, and The Puma are well clear of the rest of the pack in second through fourth, respectively.
