Shared Belief re-establishes top position

By: SPORTS NETWORK

New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Eclipse Award winner Shared Belief has returned to the top position in the latest NTRA Thoroughbred Poll.

Shared Belief, the expected favorite for the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic, was put back into first-place over Wise Dan by the voters with 27 top votes and 402 points.

Wise Dan, the reigning two-time Horse of the Year, fell back to second with 12 first-place votes, a 50 percent drop from last week's 24 top votes, and 345 points. The 7-year-old gelding is injured and will not race in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist has one first-place vote and 289 points for third in the rankings, while Kentucky Derby and Preakness champ California Chrome remained fourth with the two remaining top votes and 261 points. Both are set for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Completing the top 10 are Main Sequence (212), Bayern (178), Untapable (155), Close Hatches (138), Beholder (78) and Palace Malice (57).

Two-time Breeders' Cup winner Beholder will not defend her 2013 Distaff crown after coming down with a fever on Sunday.

"She had a little bit of a temperature this morning and it got higher (peaking at 104), so we had to treat it," trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday. "We hope she doesn't get sicker, but she won't run in the Distaff."

The National Poll continues through the Breeders' Cup.