Wise Dan first in final NTRA Poll

By: SPORTS NETWORK

New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Horse of the Year Wise Dan won his second straight Breeders' Cup Mile on Saturday allowing him to finish in first-place in the final 2013 NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Charles LoPresti and owned by Morton Fink, Wise Dan secured 53 of 56 possible first-place votes and finished with a leading 548 points. The 6- year-old gelding can become the first Horse of the Year in consecutive seasons since Curlin in 2007-08.

Breeders' Cup Classic champ Mucho Macho Man climbed from seventh to second in the final poll with two top votes and 473 points.

"I'm happier for my horse," trained Kathy Ritvo said after Mucho Macho Man's nose victory. "When Gary (jockey Gary Stevens) waved the stick, I figured he won. He is a good horse."

Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Beholder claimed the third spot with 369 points. Last year's champion 2-year-old filly followed winning the 2012 Juvenile Fillies by defeating two-time race winner Royal Delta and Alabama champ Princess of Sylmar in Friday's $2 million Distaff.

Classic runner-up Will Take Charge moved up four spots to fourth after just missing in Saturday night's $5 million stakes. The 3-year-old colt received one first-place vote and 365 points and becomes the favorite to win the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old colt.

Defeated Classic favorite Game On Dude finished ninth Saturday and fell from first to fifth in the poll. The 6-year-old gelding, trained by Bob Baffert, was this year's 17-10 favorite in the 11-horse field one year after finishing seventh as the 3-10 top choice. Two years ago he was second to Drosselmeyer in the 1 1/4-mile Classic.

Groupie Doll won her second consecutive Filly & Mare Sprint to get seventh- place in the voting. The 5-year-old mare, co-owned by trainer Buff Bradley, received 131 points.

"She's never run a bad race for me and you know what you're going to get with her. I always ride her knowing she's the champion," said the mare's jockey Rajiv Maragh.

Coming in eighth is Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Dank. The European horse picked up 116 points.

Reigning female champion Royal Delta dropped five rungs to ninth after a disappointing fourth in the Distaff. Trained by Bill Mott, the 5-year-old mare received 102 points.

Rounding out the top 10 is two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Mizdirection. The 5-year-old mare garnered 91 points.