New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah is
the unanimous selection among voters as the top sophomore in the NTRA 3-Year-
Old Poll.
Owned by Zayat Stables and trained by Bob Baffert, American Pharoah received
all 47 first-place votes for 470 points following his one-length win over
Firing Line in last Saturday’s 141st Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.
“It’s fun to come here, but I think this win was different than my other
ones,” Baffert said about his fourth Derby victory.
Baffert’s other Derby runner third-place finisher Dortmund, is second in the
poll with 399 points followed closely by Derby runner-up Firing Line with 393
points.
The first three from the Kentucky Derby are all expected to move on to the
Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore on Saturday, May 16.
“We believe we can be right there with American Pharoah,” said Simon
Callaghan, trainer of Arnold Zetcher’s Firing Line. “We’ll then train him with
the Preakness in mind. Maybe we’ll breeze him, or maybe we’ll just gallop him.
We’ll let the horse tell us. If we go, we’ll probably ship up there at some
point next week.”
Fourth-place finisher Frosted is fourth in the poll with 315 points followed
by Materiality (212) sixth in the Derby, Carpe Diem (141) who finished 10th,
International Star (140) was scratched Saturday morning, Kentucky Oaks winner
Lovely Maria (130), Danzig Moon (118) fifth in the Derby and Competitive Edge
(103) winner of the inaugural Pat Day Mile.
Shared Belief, out indefinitely with an injury, remains first in the NTRA
National Poll with 21 top votes and 387 points. Second is Horse of the Year
California Chrome (6, 356) followed by American Pharoah (16, 337), Main
Sequence (227), Constitution (2, 152), Westchester champ Tonalist (1, 112),
Lea (108), Woodford Reserve Turf Classic winner Finnegans Wake (100), Firing
Line (98) and Moreno (96).
