Older Dirt Males<\/p>\n
With a victory in the Stephen Foster, Mindframe<\/a> narrowly edges his stablemate Fierceness atop the division. While Fierceness is obviously talented, Mindframe has beaten some of the country\u2019s best horses from seven furlongs to nine furlongs. Fierceness does lead the Grade 1 count but those wins came last year and as a juvenile. Mindframe has done it against the top older horses, where Fierceness has yet to do so. The two might get their first meeting in the Whitney later this summer. The loss in the Met Mile by Fierceness can\u2019t really be counted against him, considering it was short of his best distance. However, the victory in the Met Mile by Raging Torrent has propelled him into that third spot.<\/p>\n 1. Mindframe 2. Fierceness 3. Raging Torrent 4. Sierra Leone<\/a> 5. White Abarrio 6. Nysos Older Dirt Females<\/p>\n It might not be a fair comparison given the distances, but Kopion edges out Thorpedo Anna here. Kopion, the best female dirt sprinter ahead of Ways and Means, grabs the top spot and starts next in the Great Lady M. at Los Alamitos. Her and Ways and Means would contend against any male sprinters too. Thorpedo Anna rebounded nicely in the Fleur de Lis and is the best among female dirt routers.<\/p>\n 1. Kopion 2. Thorpedo Anna 3. Ways and Means 4. Raging Sea 5. Cavalieri\u00a0 6. Dorth Vader 3-year-old Males<\/p>\n Pretty easy to separate the top three, considering Sovereignty beat Journalism and Baeza in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. For now, the only question is when will we see them meet again.<\/p>\n 1. Sovereignty<\/a> 2. Journalism <\/a> 3. Baeza 4. Sandman 5. Burnham Square 6. East Avenue 3-year-old Females<\/p>\n After Good Cheer\u2019s flop in the Acorn, the 3-year-old filly division looks somewhat up for grabs. La Cara, who romped in the slop in the Acorn, has reinstated herself as a top contender in the division. Good Cheer, the Kentucky Oaks winner, still belongs at the top, as she may not have cared for the slop and couldn\u2019t make up ground on a speed-favoring track in the Acorn. <\/p>\n 1, Good Cheer 2. La Cara 3. Nitrogen 4. Immersive 5. Shred the Gnar 6. Look Forward Dirt Sprinters<\/p>\n In the older sprint division, Book\u2019em Danno grabbed control with a powerful victory in the True North at Saratoga. The New Jersey-bred defeated another top division foe in Mullikin, while Nakatomi got away slow in his return from the Middle East. While Nysos stays in this category until he runs in the San Diego, Mindframe moves out as a proven router with his Stephen Foster win.<\/p>\n In the female dirt sprint division, Ways and Means reasserted herself as a contender with a high-figure win in the Bed o\u2019 Roses at Saratoga. However, the top slot in the division belongs to the powerful Kopion. Vahva is a threat to challenge the top two after an impressive score in the Chicago Stakes, her first trip back to the winner\u2019s circle since last year. <\/p>\n Males<\/strong> 2. Nysos 3. Mullikin 4. Booth 5. Patch Adams Females 2. Ways and Means 3. Vahva<\/a> 4. Scylla 5. Claret Beret Turfers<\/p>\n Think Big, winner of the Shakertown at Keeneland and Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs, was defeated by Ag Bullet in the Jaipur at Saratoga, finishing a lackluster seventh. Ag Bullet, who can be effective from five furlongs to one mile on turf, is probably the leader of the turf sprint division but Think Big still contends with her. Ag Bullet has been the victim of some bad trips but will likely stay sprinting, as she also finished third in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Turf Sprint last year. <\/p>\n Turf routers can be hard to separate but She Feels Pretty takes the top spot over her male counterparts. She\u2019s got three Grade 1 wins to her name and will be favored for another in the Diana. Has yet to take on the boys but that may come in November. Next, Deterministic gets the nod over some rivals he beat in the Manhattan.<\/p>\n Sprinters 2. Think Big 3. Queen Maxima 4. Future Is Now 5. Patches O’Houlihan<\/a> Routers<\/strong> 2. Deterministic 3. Far Bridge 4. Integration 5. Spirit of St Louis
The list of horses that he\u2019s beaten speaks for itself. Now with two Grade 1 victories, he\u2019s proven at multiple distances and has seemed to fix his issues in the stretch. It\u2019s close between him and his Todd Pletcher-trained, Mike Repole-owned stablemate Fierceness but for now, Mindframe gets the nod.<\/p>\n
Can\u2019t count the Met Mile loss against him. His seasonal debut win in the Alysheba was solid and at a better distance. His 3-year-old season was very solid and he arguably ran better than Sierra Leone in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Classic. While not fully proven as an older horse, it seems like his best races are ahead of him.<\/p>\n
He beat Fierceness and White Abarrio at his game but that win and his Dubai win were phenomenal. Now a two-time Grade 1 winner, and proven at one mile, it\u2019ll be interesting to see if he\u2019ll target the Breeders\u2019 Cup Dirt Mile or Sprint. <\/p>\n
His loss in the Foster was better than it looked. In a pace-less race, he made a middle move and stopped and started a couple times. He also put that New Orleans Classic third behind him. He\u2019s pace dependent but going 1 1\/4 miles, he\u2019s a threat against anybody.<\/p>\n
Needs to get back on track but he has some back races that make him competitive against anybody. The Met Mile was also too short for him and he\u2019ll be a threat stretching back out in the Whitney, which he won two years ago.<\/p>\n
7. Mystik Dan
8. Locked
9. First Mission
10. Just a Touch<\/p>\n
Now with two Grade 1 wins after dominating the Derby City Distaff, they eventually want to stretch her back out but for now, she\u2019ll stay sprinting. She easily beat Ways and Means in that race, who came back to crush the Bed o\u2019 Roses. Clearly the best female dirt sprinter and remains to be seen how she\u2019ll do around two turns. <\/p>\n
Reigning Horse of the Year, she was solid in the Fleur de Lis<\/a> and looks like she\u2019s back on track. Trainer Kenny McPeek isn\u2019t afraid to run her and has a tough schedule ahead. She\u2019s the best female dirt router for now. <\/p>\n
Her victory in the Bed o\u2019 Roses was one of the fastest by any horse all year. Still has yet to beat Kopion but she could have her best races ahead of her. Not sure when the two will meet next but Ways and Means will pose a stiff challenge. <\/p>\n
Landed another Grade 1 in the La Troienne, where Thorpedo Anna finished last, but then disappointed in the Ogden Phipps at Saratoga. The La Troienne came back a slow race but she\u2019s still a contender. Can be a little pace dependent but we\u2019ll likely see her back at Del Mar in November. <\/p>\n
Impressive winning the Grade 1 Beholder Mile but then stopped training and would be higher if that wasn\u2019t the case. She\u2019s undefeated but remains an unknown for right now.<\/p>\n
7. Royal Spa
8. Richi
9. Seismic Beauty
10. Scylla<\/p>\n
Clearly the best over the next two. It sounds like trainer Bill Mott is willing to run him in the Jim Dandy next, with the Travers as the late-summer goal. If all goes well, he\u2019ll likely take on a tough older male division in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Classic.<\/p>\n
Some have also counted him better than Sovereignty but Sovereignty put those thoughts to bed in the Belmont. He\u2019s super talented and has enough tactical speed to match any race flow. Will the third time be the charm against Sovereignty? Who knows, and who knows when we\u2019ll see them square off again.<\/p>\n
Has just a maiden victory on his record but has run solid in three Grade 1 races. He still needs to get faster to beat the top two but remains a threat in the division.<\/p>\n
A controversial pick perhaps but he\u2019s arguably went from one of the most overrated 3-year-olds to one of the most underrated. His Preakness try is better than it looks, though he continued to show his greenness in the stretch. He\u2019s still a Grade 1 winner, and while pace dependent, it looks like his best races are ahead of him.<\/p>\n
He gets the nod over East Avenue, despite that one beating him in the Matt Winn. The small field with little pace didn\u2019t suit Burnham Square but he still ran solid. Like most of the horses above him, he\u2019s a little pace dependent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
7. Gosger
8. Patch Adams
9. Mo Plex
10. Strategic Focus<\/p>\n
Still the leader, despite the Acorn loss. There\u2019s plenty of fillies chasing her and she\u2019ll likely need to get faster again. Even her stablemate Immersive looks like a possible challenger for the top spot.<\/p>\n
Her Acorn victory was an impressive rebound from the Kentucky Oaks and it was her second Grade 1 victory. She\u2019s definitely a contender and is creeping pretty close to Good Cheer.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t beat much in the off-turf Wonder Again at Saratoga but she\u2019s bred to handle dirt. Trainer Mark Casse has elected for one more turf start before possibly trying the Alabama. Despite being untested on the dirt, she\u2019d be a contender if she goes in the Alabama. Would be happy to move her up if she can prove she\u2019s the goods on dirt.<\/p>\n
An impressive return in the Monomoy Girl has placed last year\u2019s 2-year-old champion back in contention for the division. While she did lose, she was bested by a more seasoned filly and has a running style that can beat anybody.<\/p>\n
Scratched out of the Acorn, Shred the Gnar still looks like a divisional contender. She may be untested but she\u2019s fast and is a contender wherever she starts next.<\/p>\n
7. Take Charge Milady
8. Drexel Hill
9. Scottish Lassie
10. Bless the Broken<\/p>\n
1. Book’em Danno
Gets the slight nod for being a true sprinter. His True North win was impressive over a stellar field. He\u2019s a very cool horse and his owners haven\u2019t been afraid to run him.<\/p>\n
His second to Mindframe in the Churchill Downs Stakes was a heart-breaker coming off a long layoff. Arguably one of the most talented horses in the country, it remains to be seen if he\u2019s a sprinter or router. The San Diego will tell, and most seem to think he\u2019s a router and ready to join a very tough division. <\/p>\n
A proven Grade 1 winner, Mullikin always seems to put in a solid effort. His tries in the Churchill Downs and True North were solid, though he hasn\u2019t won since last summer.<\/p>\n
His loss in the Kelly\u2019s Landing was disappointing, though he did set an honest pace and was pestered on the lead the whole time. Willing to draw a line through it, as he\u2019s also had a string of some pretty tough races.<\/p>\n
Seems to have found his home sprinting, as he was stellar in the Woody Stephens. He\u2019s knocked heads with tough horses in his 3-year-old campaign and looks like a serious sprinter going forward.<\/p>\n
<\/strong>1. Kopion
Still a sprinter for now and probably the best sprinter in the country over the male division.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A very talented and impressive filly but has yet to beat Kopion and might not get another chance.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s back and looks like a threat once again. She showed some new early speed in her Chicago victory and, while she might not be better than the top two, she\u2019s still a strong contender.<\/p>\n
Has found a home sprinting but has yet to find that breakthrough victory. Obviously very talented and has run into some tough horses, she likely has her best races ahead of her.<\/p>\n
Validated a handicap romp with her second in the Chicago. Couldn\u2019t get to Vahva but proved she belongs and will likely fly under the radar going forward.<\/p>\n
1. Ag Bullet
Her Jaipur victory was ultra-impressive and she\u2019s also pretty solid up to a mile, though she\u2019ll likely stick to sprints with her sights on a return to Del Mar for the Breeders\u2019 Cup.<\/p>\n
He was bested by Ag Bullet in the Jaipur but he was the leader in the division before that. He\u2019ll need to rebound from that loss but it\u2019s also not likely anyone else is coming for the top two spots. Interesting to see him entered in the Kelso going one mile Saturday at Saratoga.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s fast and has won five in a row, including stepping out of California for her last-out win in the Unbridled Sydney. She did beat Ag Bullet in the Unbridled Sydney but Ag Bullet clearly didn\u2019t handle the turf.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Has some solid victories on his ledger but hasn\u2019t beat the top turf sprinters yet. It\u2019ll be interesting to see what path they take this summer, as he didn\u2019t run in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Turf Sprint last year. <\/p>\n
Wandered home in the stretch of the Highlander last out but still edged My Boy Prince, runner up in the Jaipur. Got injured in that run but seems fine. Would love to see this horse run against some better competition but he may just be a Woodbine specialist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1. She Feels Pretty
Has never missed the board with seven wins in 10 career starts. Hasn\u2019t taken on the boys yet but her work against females is good enough for the top spot. It\u2019ll be interesting to see what her ideal distance ends up being.<\/p>\n
Scored a nice victory in the Manhattan and gets ranked ahead of those he beat, although it was probably too short for Far Bridge and Integration ran a solid second too. Needs to show he can do it again and will likely have to go longer.<\/p>\n
Comes in above Integration as that one hasn\u2019t found the winner\u2019s circle recently but did finish ahead of Far Bridge in the Manhattan. Far Bridge took down some solid Grade 1s last year but needs to do it again this year.<\/p>\n
Clearly a talented horse but has struggled to breakthrough recently, with his last win coming in last year\u2019s Red Smith in November. He\u2019s been in all the tough races but still lacks that defining victory.<\/p>\n
Finally proved himself outside of statebred competition in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, and did so again earning a Grade 1 win in the Turf Classic over Mercante who narrowly misses this list. Such a cool horse but that sixth-place finish in the Manhattan over softer ground raised some questions.<\/p>\n