New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – American Pharoah, coming off a decisive win
Saturday, is now the top rated 3-year-old thoroughbred and advanced, as well,
in the NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll.
Trained by Bob Baffert, American Pharoah crushed the competition by eight
lengths in the $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park as the colt made his
final start before the Kentucky Derby on May 2.
“Bob Baffert didn’t want me to win by that many lengths,” jockey Victor
Espinoza said, “but sometimes you can’t help it. I know it’s only three weeks
until the Kentucky Derby and you want to save as much as you can for that
race.
“But with a horse like him, he does things so easy, it was all I could do.”
Voters rewarded American Pharoah with 22 first-place votes and 406 points to
leap over stablemate Dortmund who received 19 top votes and 402 points one
week after his win in the Santa Anita Derby. American Pharoah climbed also in
the national rankings from 10th to sixth-place.
Blue Grass Stakes winner Carpe Diem and Louisiana Derby winner International
Star each received one top vote for 338 and 239 points, repsectively. Florida
Derby champ Materiality remains fifth with 221 points followed by Sunland
Derby champ Firing Line (200), Wood Memorial winner Frosted (200), Upstart
(142), Arkansas Derby runner-up Far Right (56) and El Kabeir (46).
Shared Belief continues as the unanimous selection in the overall rankings.
The 4-year-old gelding, slated to start in Saturday’s Charles Town Classic,
received all 43 first-place votes for 430 points.
Reigning Horse of the Year California Chrome remains in second-place with
347 points followed by Eclipse Award winner Main Sequence (248), Honor Code
(220), Constitution (196), American Pharoah (147), Dortmund (143), Lea (136),
Bayern (99) and Oaklawn Handicap winner Race Day (79).
