Saturday results shake up top 10

By: SPORTS NETWORK

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Saturday's results forced a major shake up in the bottom eight places of the NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll.

The top two slots remained unchanged with Game On Dude and Wise Dan in first and second, respectively. Game On Dude received 31 first-place votes for 488 points to Wise Dan's 18 top votes and 465 points. Wise Dan will start Saturday in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Moving into third is Beldame Stakes winner Princess of Sylmar who defeated Royal Delta in the race. For her victory, Princess of Sylmar garnered one first-place vote and 368 points to advance two rungs in the voting.

"Any time you take a 3-year-old and run against older horses for the first time and you're able to win, it's a great achievement," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "When the horse that you beat is Royal Delta, it's an even greater accomplishment. It further enhanced Princess of Sylmar's reputation and took what everyone recognized as a remarkable 3-year-old season to another level. We've been blessed with quite a few good fillies, but certainly her 3-year-old season stacks up pretty well with anyone's."

Royal Delta fell just one spot to fourth after finishing second to the 3-year- old filly. The reigning champion older female posted 224 points after failing to defend her 2012 Beldame victory.

"I'm not sure she ran her best race yesterday," trainer Bill Mott said Sunday. "She might have a better one in her than that. I'm pretty sure she does. I think her last two were better than that, so hopefully she'll come back next time and give us a good one."

The injured Point of Entry, however, climbed from sixth to fifth with 147 points.

Returning to the rankings is sprinter Graydar after winning the one-mile Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old colt is sixth with 138 points.

"We're going to the Breeders' Cup but I don't know that we've decided which race just yet. We've got plenty of time to sort it out," Pletcher said about Graydar.

Travers and Pennsylvania Derby winner Will Take Charge is up a spot to seventh with 124 points. Turf runner Obviously fell to eighth-place with 122 points.

Two horses reappearing in the top 10 after Saturday victories are Mucho Macho Man and Ron the Greek. Mucho Macho Man, second last year in the Breeders' Cup Classic, won the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita and Ron the Greek claimed Belmont Park's Jockey Club Gold Cup.

"This horse only has to make up a neck from last year's Breeders' Cup Classic and I think he's a bigger, stronger horse than he was last year," said Mucho Macho Man's jockey Gary Stevens.

In the voting, Mucho Macho Man received 121 points and Ron the Greek picked up one first-place vote and 114 points.

"From my perspective, it looks like I have maybe a pair (Ron the Greek and Flat Out, third in the Gold Cup) to run in the Classic," Mott noted. "I'd like to cover the Distaff as well. That has to be talked about with (Royal Delta's owner) Mr. (Benjamin) Leon."