Citizen Bull Stays Atop Triple Crown Poll, Three of Top 10 Meet in Sunday’s Rebel Stakes

Racing
NTRA 3-year-old Triple Crown poll, Citizen Bull, 2025 Kentucky Derby
Citizen Bull is the top-ranked 3-year-old in the latest NTRA Triple Crown poll. (Lindsay Affleck/Eclipse Sportswire)

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

Citizen Bull. (Justin Fine/Eclipse Sportswire)

1. Citizen Bull (20 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: Santa Anita Derby, April 5 at Santa Anita Park


Barnes. (Jon Putman/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


Burnham Square. (Carlos J. Calo/Eclipse Sportswire)

3. 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


Magnitude. (Hodges Photography.)

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


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: Louisiana Derby, March 22 at Fair Grounds


Journalism. (Jon Putman/Eclipse Sportswire)

6. Journalism (2 first-place votes)

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


John Hancock. (Juliana Colombo/Eclipse Sportswire)

7. John Hancock 

Owners: CHC and WinStar Farm

TrainerBrad 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


Speed King. (Tommy Land/Eclipse Sportswire)

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: 1stSouthwest Stakes, Jan. 25 at Oaklawn Park

Next race: Rebel Stakes, Feb. 23 at Oaklawn Park


Coal Battle. (Ben Breland/Eclipse Sportswire)

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


Sandman. (Gary Johnson/Eclipse Sportswire)

10. Sandman (1 first-place vote)

Owners: D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables

TrainerMark 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


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