Stephen Foster Victor Mindframe has taken the lead in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls, as originally reported by the Paulick Report. Mindframe topped the rankings after winning the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 28th, earning 11 votes and 264 points.
The four-year-old colt by Constitutional, trained by Todd Plecher and owned by Repre Stubble, remains undefeated this year. He began his season with a one and a quarter length victory at the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile and claimed his first Grade 1 win in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes in a tight finish. Mindframe posted an impressive 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the Stephen Foster, matching the mark from his debut performance. Notably, he is the only four-year-old or older horse to secure multiple Grade 1 wins on dirt in the U.S. this year.
Raging Torrent, who led the poll for the past three weeks, is now in second place. The two-time undefeated competitor, trained by Daguo Neal, has captured victories in the Grade 1 Met Mile and Grade 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai. This horse is co-owned by Yueshang Zhang and Craig Dado.
Finishing third is Godolphin’s dual classic winner Sovereignty. Trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty has earned wins in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in four starts this year.
Toupedo Anna moved up from seventh to fifth place following a strong performance in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes, part of the Stephen Foster undercard.
Other horses receiving votes include: She Is Clean (27), Nitrogen (19), Methods and Means (16), Hit Show (13), First Mission (11), Bookmdunno (11), NYSOS (11), St. Louis Spirit (10), Mastic Dan (9), Deterministic (9), Forever Young (9), Bishpus Bay (5), Bish (7), Bishua Your Best (2), and Post Time (1).
The weekly Top Thoroughbred Voting highlights the leading contenders for Horse of the Year based on a points scale from 10 down to 1, with the number of first-place votes noted in parentheses.
Fan Take: This update is thrilling for horse racing enthusiasts as Mindframe’s rise signals fresh excitement and competition in the sport. His unbeaten streak and multiple Grade 1 wins could inspire more fans and elevate the profile of thoroughbred racing in the coming months.
