Havre de Grace continues atop NTRA Poll

By: SPORTS NETWORK

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Woodward Stakes winner Havre de Grace maintains her position atop the current NTRA Thoroughbred Poll for racing through September 11. The first six in the poll are unchanged from last week.

Owned by Rick Porter, Havre de Grace received 11 first-place votes and 185 points, an increase of three and five respectively. The four-year-old filly, trained by Larry Jones, will have her next start in the Beldame at Belmont Park on Saturday, October 1.

Holding steady in second is six-year-old Tizway. The veteran runner gained a first-place vote over last week's total. He has eight top votes and 178 points.

Trained by Jim Bond, Tizway will start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 1 at Belmont Park. The horse finished third in the Gold Cup two years ago.

"The 2009 Jockey Club Gold Cup was against Summer Bird and Quality Road, two very good horses," Bond said about Tizway's only start at 1 1/4-miles. "It poured before the race, and he was stuck down on the fence with a lot of water. I'm sold on his ability to get the distance, and someone will have to prove me wrong."

The last first-place vote went to Blind Luck, who picked up 154 points to stay in third. The four-year-old filly is also being considered for the Beldame along with the Lady's Secret at Santa Anita on October 1.

Rounding out the top 10 are Acclamation (124), Cape Blanco (112), Stay Thirsty (77), Twirling Candy (39), Goldikova (33), Turbulent Descent (30) and The Factor (27).