Top Horses List: Week 5

With the Hirsch and Whitney in the books, the Classic and Distaff are back to their normal for the Top Horses List. Just a few notes for the next few weeks, this will be the only Classic and Distaff list until after the Pacific Classic. Starting in 2 ½ weeks will be the introduction of the two Turf division lists the F/M Turf and Turf. I want to wait until after the Arlington Million to do those, because there might be a horse on this list who is pointing towards one of those races, but is not participating in the Million or Beverly D. Also please note that those lists like with the Classic and Distaff will start at 5 and will expand to 9 and then 12 as we move on.

Finally, I had been debating on weather of doing a list of all 13 races and going back and forth on it. The decision is still pending, but leaning towards not doing so... unless the sprint divisions (which to me are the weakest) pick up big time. For now, here are the Classic and Distaff lists. This is the first time that the Distaff has been expanded to 9 horses.

Classic

Rank	Horse's Name (Sire)	Trainer	Profile
1	California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit)	Sherman	The Whitney changed the picture big time... with the Derby/Preakness winner now on top for now.
2	Tonalist (Tapit)	Clement	The Travers will show weather that Belmont was a fluke or not.
3	Palace Malice (Curlin)	Pletcher	Saturday just wasn't his day. Keeping him on this list for now... but he does have the Dirt Mile entry in his back pocket.
4	Shared Belief (Candy Ride (ARG))	Hollendorfer	The lone question mark with him is that can he go a mile and a quarter. Otherwise he ticks all of the other boxes.
5	Wicked Strong (Hard Spun)	Jerkens	You know when 4 of your top 5 for the Classic are 3yo's, then the Older Male division is in disarray.
6	Moreno (Ghostzapper)	Guillot	The Whitney winner loves Saratoga. Will likely face Zivo who beat him in the Suburban in the Jockey Club Gold Cup or earlier in the Woodward.
7	Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron)	Plesa	So I was wrong about him not being in the top tier. That Whitney run was excellent. Of course now he will have to prove that he can stay at this top level.
8	Majestic Harbor (Rockport Harbor)	McCarthy	If he can repeat his Gold Cup performance, then everyone will be chasing him at Del Mar.
9	Moonshine Mullin (Albert the Great)	Morse	Skipping the Whitney to head to West Virginia was going to have him move down the list as is. Missed the race due to a small injury, thus was forced to move him down the list more.

 Removed: Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song)- He just isn't the same horse he was at 3. To my eyes that third in the Whitney didn't seem to be that great, but it will be interesting where he goes to re-group.

Clubhouse Ride (Candy Ride (ARG))- Really wanted to keep him on the list, but Itsmyluckyday surprised me big time in the Whitney so I have to put him on there. Likely will be back on after the Pacific Classic though.

Others Considered: Will Take Charge, Zivo (True Direction), Clubhouse Ride, Bayern (Offlee Wild), Albano (Istan), Irish You Well (Broken Vow)

The next Classic list will be after the Pacific Classic and will be expanded to 12 horses.

Distaff

Rank	Horse's Name (Sire)	Trainer	Profile
1	Close Hatches (First Defense)	Mott	Owner is known for their fillies, but it's been a long time in the US that they have had a good dirt running filly. This girl is on her way to join Sightseek as an excellent runner.
2	Beholder (Henny Hughes)	Mandella	Starting to make her comeback. My guess is one race then the Distaff.
3	Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior)	Pletcher	Has been working in blinkers, adding them for the Personal Ensign maybe? She could have also been spending time being friendly with next door neighbor Palace Malice (there are pictures of them of reaching out to each other from their stalls).
4	Iotapa (Afleet Alex)	Sadler	It wasn't an easy Hirsch win, but she was able to get it done. Should be much better with the move back to dirt in her next.
5	Untapable (Tapit)	Asmussen	The Haskell... didn't go according to plan. A return back to her own sex, in her next race which is likely the Cotillion.
6	Broken Sword (Broken Vow)	Hollendorfer	Gave Iotapa everything she had in the Hirsch. Even though she is very likely a synth specialist, with her sire who he is dirt shouldn't be a problem.
7	Antipathy (A.P. Indy)	McLaughlin	Had run against the top three in the Phipps. Won the Shuvee, and will now be a little bit under the radar in her own barn as her trainer has a certin 2yo colt whose sire won the Classic and dam whose initials are R.A.
8	Belle Gallantey (After Market)	Rodriguez	The Del Cap winner winner will need to prove that she is a top tier horse in the Personal Ensign.
9	Stanwyck (Empire Maker)	Shirreffs	Runner up in the Shuvee, she has already run third at Santa Anita in graded stakes this year. Did I mention she is a ½ sister to both Giacomo and Tiago? No, well she is. Like Antipathy, she will be a little bit under the radar as her trainer has a certin 2yo colt whose sire was a runner up in the Classic and whose dam won the Distaff (when it was known as the Ladies Classic) and Classic whose name begins with the letter Z.

Removed: Flashy American (Flashy Bull): lost in the Shuvee in her last.

Others Considered: Grace Hall (Empire Maker), Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper), Parranda (English Channel), Flashy American

This will also be going to 12 horses after the Personal Ensign.