
Stars of Yesterday: Looking Back at Best Tampa Bay Derby Winners
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 4 of the 2025 NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll, covers races through Feb. 16. 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 is being pointed to the Santa Anita Derby on April 5 for his next start.
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. 17, 2025
1. Citizen Bull (20 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: Santa Anita Derby, April 5 at Santa Anita Park
2. Barnes (3 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: DK Horse San Felipe Stakes, March 1 at Santa Anita Park
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
4. Magnitude (1 first-place vote)
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ben Curtis
2025 record: 2 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 10th, Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes, Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds
Next race: Sidelined through Kentucky Derby with an injury
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: Louisiana Derby, March 22 at Fair Grounds
6. Journalism (2 first-place votes)
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
7. John Hancock
Owners: CHC and WinStar Farm
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat
2025 record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Last race: 1st, Sam F. Davis Stakes, Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay Downs
Next race: Louisiana Derby, March 22 at Fair Grounds
8. Speed King
Owner: Triton Thoroughbreds, Naber Racing, Bryan Hennigan, Doug Rapier, and Ron Micetic
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. 23 at Oaklawn Park
9. 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. 23 at Oaklawn 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. 23 at Oaklawn Park