America's Best Thoroughbreds

Racing
One Liner earned 10 Kentucky Derby points in his first graded stakes attempt in the Southwest Stakes.

Each week members of the media around the country vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the NTRA Top 3-year-Old Poll. Find the latest 2017 Top 3-Year-Old rankings below. 

AMERICA'S TOP 3-YEAR-OLD THOROUGHBREDS as of Feb. 21

Eclipse Sportswire

1. McCraken (20 first-place votes)

Owner: Whitham Thoroughbreds

Trainer: Ian Wilkes

Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

2017 stats: 1 start, 1 win, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Sam F. Davis Stakes, Tampa Bay Downs, Feb. 11 

Next race: TBD


Eclipse Sportswire

2. Irish War Cry (8 first-place votes)

Owner: Isabelle de Tomaso

Trainer: Graham Motion

Jockey: Joel Rosario

2017 stats: 1 start, 1 win, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes, Gulfstream Park, Feb. 4 

Next race: TBD


Champion Classic Empire, the winter book Kentucky Derby favorite, makes his eagerly anticipated 3-year-old debut Saturday in the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes.
Coady Photography

3. Classic Empire (2 first-place votes)

Owner: John Oxley

Trainer: Mark Casse

Jockey: Julien Leparoux

2017 stats: 1 start, 0 wins, 0 seconds, 1 third

Previous race: 3rd, Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes, Gulfstream Park, Feb. 4 

Next race: TBD, possibly Tampa Bay Derby, Tampa Bay Downs, March 11


BENOIT photo

4. Mastery (4 first-place votes)

Owner: Cheyenne Stables

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Mike Smith

2017 stats: 0 starts, 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Los Alamitos Futurity, Los Alamitos, Dec. 10

Next race: San Felipe Stakes, Santa Anita Park, March 11


El Areeb proved much the best in the Grade 3 Jerome Stakes on Jan. 2 at Aqueduct.
Chelsea Durand/NYRA

5. El Areeb (1 first-place votes)

Owner: M M G Stables

Trainer: Cathal Lynch

Jockey: Trevor McCarthy

2017 stats: 2 starts, 2 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Withers Stakes, Aqueduct, Feb. 4

Next race: TBD, possibly Gotham Stakes on March 4 or Wood Memorial Stakes on April 8, both at Aqueduct


BENOIT photo

6. Unique Bella (5 first-place votes)

Owner: Don Alberto Stable

Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer

Jockey: Mike Smith

2017 stats: 2 starts, 2 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Las Virgenes Stakes, Santa Anita Park, Feb. 5

Next race: TBD, possibly the Santa Ysabel Stakes on March 4 or the Santa Anita Oaks on April 8, both at Santa Anita Park


Gormley (outside) bested American Anthem by a head in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
Eclipse Sportswire

7. Gormley

Owner: Jerry and Ann Moss

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Jockey: Victor Espinoza

2017 stats: 1 start, 1 win, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Sham Stakes, Santa Anita Park, Jan. 7

Next race: TBD, possibly San Felipe Stakes on March 11 at Santa Anita Park


Adam Coglianese/NYRA

8. Mo Town

Owner: Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Team D

Trainer: Tony Dutrow

Jockey: John Velazquez

2017 stats: 0 starts, 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Remsen Stakes, Aqueduct, Nov. 26

Next race: Risen Star Stakes, Fair Grounds, March 4


Adam Coglianese/NYRA

9. Practical Joke

Owner: Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Joel Rosario

2017 stats: 0 starts, 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 3rd, Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Santa Anita Park, Nov. 5

Next race: TBD, possibly March 4 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct or Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park


Eclipse Sportswire

10. One Liner

Owner: WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

2017 stats: 2 starts, 2 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds

Previous race: 1st, Southwest Stakes, Oaklawn Park, Feb. 4

Next race: TBD

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