Citizen Bull Extends Lead in Triple Crown Poll After Winning 3-Year-Old Debut

Racing
NTRA Top 10 3-year-olds, Triple Crown Poll, Citizen Bull, Kentucky Derby
Citizen Bull maintains his lead atop the NTRA Triple Crown poll following his win in the Feb.1 Holy Bull Stakes. (BENOIT photo)

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

Citizen Bull. (BENOIT photo)

1. Citizen Bull (24 first-place votes)

Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan 

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


Barnes. (Lindsay Affleck/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


East Avenue. (Tim Sudduth/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


Burnham Square. (Carlos Calo/Eclipse Sportswire)

4. Burnham Square

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


Disco Time. (Jessica Morgan/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


Speed King. (Tommy Land/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


Coal Battle. (Ben Breland/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


Captain Cook. (Jason Moran/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


Journalism. (Jon Putman/Eclipse Sportswire)

9. Journalism (1 first-place vote)

Owners: Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC and LaPenta, Robert V.

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


Sandman. (Coady Media)

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


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