Derby Winner Justify Tops NTRA 3-Year-Old Poll
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Photo: Rick Samuels
A rain soaked Justify and Mike Smith at Churchill Downs
Undefeated Justify was a unanimous choice in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 3-year-old Poll after dominating the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
The latest super-horse from the barn of five-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert now moves on to Pimlico for the May 19 Preakness Stakes (G1) in hopes of keeping this year's Triple Crown dream alive.
The top three horses in this week's poll of Thoroughbred racing media reflect the Derby results. Justify, the emphatic 2 1/2-length winner, garnered all 39 first place votes for a perfect score of all 390 possible points. Runner-up Good Magic, last year's Eclipse Award-winning champion 2-year-old male, was second on all but two ballots. Audible, third in the Derby by a neck, was a clear third in the poll as well.
The Top 3-year-old Poll concludes June 11, after the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).
Justify's Derby also propelled him to second on the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll for horses of all ages.
Breaking into the top 10 this week on the Top Thoroughbred Poll was 4-year-old Backyard Heaven, winner of the Alysheba Stakes presented by Sentient Jet (G2) on the Derby undercard over 2017 Derby winner Always Dreaming, multiple grade 1 winner Hoppertunity, and multiple grade 2 winner Good Samaritan. The Chad Brown trainee will make the grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs his next major target.
The NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll will conclude Nov. 5 after the Breeders' Cup.