
Ashado: A Hall of Fame Career of Consistent Excellence
Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.
Week 2 of the 2025 NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll, covers races through Feb. 2. The leader in the poll remains 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull, who won his 3-year-old debut in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Feb. 1. and doubled his first-place votes to 24. New to the top 10 this week are Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes winner Burnham Square and Feb. 1 Withers Stakes winner Captain Cook.
The 3-year-old poll represents horses competing up to and through the Triple Crown. Rankings are based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1 voting system. First place votes are in parentheses.
AMERICA’S TOP 3-YEAR-OLD THOROUGHBREDS FOR FEB. 3, 2025
1. Citizen Bull (24 first-place votes)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Martin Garcia
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Feb. 1 at Santa Anita Park
Next race: TBD, possibly DK Horse San Felipe Stakes, March 1 at Santa Anita Park
2. Barnes (2 first-place votes)
Owner: Zedan Racing Stables
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Juan Hernandez
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, San Vicente Stakes, Jan. 4 at Santa Anita Park
Next race: Rebel Stakes, Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park or DK Horse San Felipe Stakes, March 1 at Santa Anita Park
3. East Avenue
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
2025 record: 0 starts – 0 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 9th, FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, Nov. 1, 2024 at Del Mar
Next race: Risen Star Stakes, Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds
Owner: Whitham Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Jockey: Edgard Zayas
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Holy Bull Stakes, Feb. 1 at Gulfstream Park
Next race: Fountain of Youth Stakes, March 1 at Gulfstream Park
5. Disco Time
Owner: Juddmonte
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Florent Geroux
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Lecomte Stakes, Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds
Next race: Risen Star Stakes, Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds or Rebel Stakes, Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park
6. Speed King
Owner: Triton Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Ron Moquett
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Southwest Stakes, Jan. 25 at Oaklawn Park
Next race: Rebel Stakes, Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park
7. Coal Battle
Owner: Norman Stables
Trainer: Lonnie Briley
Jockey: Juan Vargas
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Smarty Jones Stakes, Jan. 4 at Oaklawn Park
Next race: Rebel Stakes, Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park
8. Captain Cook
Owner: St. Elias Stable
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Jockey: Manny Franco
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Withers Stakes, Feb. 1 at Aqueduct
Next race: Wood Memorial Stakes, April 5 at Aqueduct
9. Journalism (1 first-place vote)
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
2025 record: 0 starts – 0 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Los Alamitos Futurity, Dec. 14 at Los Alamitos
Next race: DK Horse San Felipe Stakes, March 1 at Santa Anita Park
10. Sandman (1 first-place vote)
Owners: D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Cristian Torres
2025 record: 1 start – 0 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Last race: 2nd, Southwest Stakes, Jan. 25 at Oaklawn Park
Next race: Rebel Stakes, Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park