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NTRA Poll: After Final Preps, Top Three Are Essential Quality, Rock Your World, Hot Rod Charlie

Essential Quality, who is training at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on May 1, remains at No. 1 in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Brad Cox and bred and owned by Godolphin LLC, Essential Quality is undefeated in five starts, including his most recent victory in the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 3. Essential Quality, the Eclipse Award-winning two-year-old male of 2020, received 34 first-place votes and 366 points in this week's poll. Rock Your World, who won the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3, has moved from fourth to second place this week. Owned by Hronis Racing and Talla Racing, and trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World has 266 points. Another California-based star, Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and William Strauss's Hot Rod Charlie, remains in third place. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Hot Rod Charlie, winner of the Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on March 20, has one first-place vote and 261 points. St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda, winner of the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby on March 27 for trainer Todd Pletcher, takes the fourth spot with one first-place vote and 253 points. Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Highly Motivated, who gave Essential Quality all he could handle finishing second in the Blue Grass by just a neck, moves from seventh to fifth place with 158 points.

Following his third-place finish as the odds-on favorite in last Saturday's Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, Gary and Mary West's homebred Concert Tour drops from second to sixth place with 144 points. Keith Asmussen and Erv Woolsey's Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock, joins the top 10 for the first time at No. 7 with 138 points. Zedan Racing Stables Inc's Medina Spirit, who finished second to Rock Your World in the Santa Anita Derby, retains eighth place in the poll with 101 points. Life is Good, who is sidelined with an injury and will miss the Triple Crown, is in ninth place with 66 points. He is followed by Greatest Honour, who was taken out of Kentucky Derby consideration last week by trainer Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey III. Greatest Honour, beaten favorite in the Florida Derby, has 57 points in 10th place.

The first eight positions in NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, remain unchanged from last week. Mystic Guide, winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup, holds onto the No. 1 ranking with 24 first-place votes and 346 points. Charlatan, runner-up in the Group 1 Saudi Cup, is second in the voting with seven first-place votes and 317 points. Two-time Eclipse Award Champion Monomoy Girl (five first-place votes, 313 points) remains in third place, followed by Eclipse Award Champion filly Swiss Skydiver (one first-place vote, 296 points) in fourth place, and Knicks Go in fifth (239 points).

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup winner Colonel Liam is in sixth place (213 points). Idol holds onto seventh place (179 points), and Gamine is in eighth place (97 points). The new shooter to the top 10 is C Z Rocket, who won last Saturday's Grade 3 Count Fleet Handicap at Oaklawn Park. C Z Rocket is in ninth place (89 points), followed by Maxfield in 10th (56 points).

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through November 6.

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Super Stock ‘Fantastic’ Morning After ‘Better Than A Movie’ Arkansas Derby Victory

Super Stock emerged in “fantastic” shape from his victory in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) Saturday at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., Steve Asmussen, the colt's Hall of Fame trainer, said Sunday morning.

Super Stock is scheduled to be flown early this week to Kentucky, Asmussen said, where the Dialed In colt will join the trainer's string at Churchill Downs to begin preparing for the Kentucky Derby May 1.

Super Stock ($26.40) gave Asmussen his record-tying fifth Arkansas Derby victory, capturing the 1 1/8-mile race by 2 ½ lengths under Ricardo Santana Jr. Caddo River finished second, a head in front of 1-5 favorite and previously unbeaten Concert Tour.

Super Stock figures to be one of the Kentucky Derby's feel-good stories since he was purchased and is co-owned by Asmussen's father, Keith, 79, and received his early schooling at the family's famed El Primero Training Center near Laredo, Texas.

Steve Asmussen's oldest son, also named Keith, rode Super Stock in his first three career starts last summer and provided the jockey with his first career stakes victory in the $113,647 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity Aug. 11 at Lone Star Park. Keith Asmussen, 22, is scheduled to graduate in May from the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He had 61 mounts last year when he made his riding debut during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Steve Asmussen is on the cusp of becoming the winningest trainer in North American history, he has never won the Kentucky Derby in 21 starts.

“This horse is better than a movie, when you think about all of that,” Keith Asmussen said moments after his father's latest Arkansas Derby victory.

Super Stock's only previous victory came in the restricted Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, but the colt did run third, beaten 4 ¾ lengths by future Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality, in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3 at Keeneland. Super Stock, in his 3-year-old debut, was a well-beaten fourth behind Concert Tour in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 13 at Oaklawn. Super Stock breezed three times before the Arkansas Derby, including a five-furlong bullet (1:00.20) March 29.

“Going into the race, dad said this horse had been touting himself,” Keith Asmussen said. “I think it was the perfect description.”

Steve Asmussen, heading toward his record-tying 11th Oaklawn training title, called the race setup perfect for Super Stock, who sat just off Caddo River's demanding splits of :22.62 for the opening quarter-mile, :46.51 for a half-mile and 1:11.25 for three-quarters of a mile.

“Those kind of fractions will sort out a lot,” Asmussen said.

The final time over a fast track was 1:50.92. A $70,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate, Super Stock won for the second time in eight lifetime starts to increase his earnings to $804,762. He earned a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 92, a career high.

“He's improving a lot,” Santana said after riding Super Stock for the third time. “He's growing up. I'm really, really happy with that horse right now.”

Asmussen previously won the Arkansas Derby in 2002 (Private Emblem), 2007 (Curlin), 2016 (Creator) and last year's first division with Basin, who was elevated to first following the disqualification of Charlatan for a medication violation. The case is under appeal.

Clearly, Asmussen's fifth Arkansas Derby victory was different. It was a family affair. In addition to his father, mother, wife and three sons, Asmussen said his mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law were among those present to cheer the family horse.

“Can't even remember the last time we were all at the same race,” an emotional Asmussen said following his record 95th career Oaklawn stakes victory. “Meant to be.”

Super Stock collected 100 points for his Arkansas Derby victory and has 109 overall to rank third on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard compiled by Churchill Downs. The Arkansas Derby offered 170 points to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. The 1 ¼-mile race is limited to 20 starters, with starting preference given to the top 18 point earners in designated races like the Arkansas Derby. The top point earners on the European and Japan Road the Kentucky Derby will receive invitations.

Essential Quality, winner of Oaklawn's $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 27, has 140 points to rank No. 1. Concert Tour (70) is No. 9 and Caddo River (50) is No. 13.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Concert Tour would be sent to Churchill Downs, but was non-committal about a start in the Kentucky Derby. Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby a record-tying six times. Baffert said in a text message early Sunday afternoon that Concert Tour came out of the race well and will ship to Kentucky Monday or Tuesday.

“We'll see how he works back,” Baffert said immediately following the Arkansas Derby. “Churchill, I don't like to run there unless they're going to be really live. We'll see how he comes out of this race and see how he trains forward. I didn't really want a hard race out of it, but we still wanted to win. I've won Derbies off of losses. You learn about your horse and see if there is improvement to be made. The horse will tell us.”

Caddo River came out of the Arkansas Derby in “great shape,” Jorgito Abrego, who oversees trainer Brad Cox's Oaklawn division, said Sunday morning. Cox said immediately following the Arkansas Derby that he would consult with John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, Caddo River's owner/breeder, before making a decision regarding the Kentucky Derby.

“Talk it over with Mr. John Ed and come up with a game plan here in the near future,” Cox said. “We'll ship him back to Churchill, one way or another, and either prepare for the Kentucky Derby, I assume he'll get in with (50 points), if we choose that path or possibly the Preakness. We'll talk to the boss and see what he thinks. More than anything, see how he comes out of it over the next couple of days.”

Cox also trains Essential Quality.

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Arkansas Derby Wrap: Super Stock ‘Fantastic’, Baffert Noncommittal On Derby for Concert Tour

Super Stock (Dialed In) emerged in “fantastic” shape from his victory in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn, Steve Asmussen, the colt's Hall of Fame trainer, said Sunday morning. The bay is scheduled to be flown early this week to Kentucky, Asmussen said, where the colt will join the trainer's string at Churchill Downs to begin preparing for the GI Kentucky Derby May 1.

Bought for $70,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Super Stock gave Asmussen his fifth Arkansas Derby victory and is co-owned by Asmussen's 79-year-old father Keith. The colt received his early schooling at the family's famed El Primero Training Center near Laredo, TX and gave Steve Asmussen's oldest son Keith his first stakes win as a jockey in August's Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park. Asmussen has yet to win the Kentucky Derby with 21 starters.

In addition to his father, mother, wife and three sons, Asmussen said his mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law were among those present to cheer the family horse Saturday.

“Can't even remember the last time we were all at the same race,” an emotional Asmussen said following his record 95th career Oaklawn stakes victory. “Meant to be.”

Bob Baffert was noncommittal after the race about a trip to Louisville for Arkansas Derby third finisher Concert Tour (Street Sense), who suffered his first loss in four career starts.

“We'll see how he works back,” Baffert said. “Churchill, I don't like to run there unless they're going to be really live. We'll see how he comes out of this race and see how he trains forward. I didn't really want a hard race out of it, but we still wanted to win. I've won Derbies off of losses. You learn about your horse and see if there is improvement to be made. The horse will tell us.”

Caddo River came out of the Arkansas Derby in “great shape,” Jorgito Abrego, who oversees trainer Brad Cox's Oaklawn division, said Sunday morning. Cox said immediately following the Arkansas Derby that he would consult with John Ed Anthony, Caddo River's owner/breeder, before making a decision regarding the Kentucky Derby.

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Arkansas Derby An Asmussen Family Affair As Super Stock Posts $26.40 Upset

Getting a perfect trip under Ricardo Santana Jr. behind dueling front-runners Caddo River and Concert Tour, Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's Dialed In colt Super Stock took command in the stretch for a 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Winning for just the second time in eight career starts, Super Stock ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.92 and paid $26.40. Brad Cox-trained Caddo River, who battled with previously unbeaten Bob Baffert-trained Concert Tour throughout the Arkansas Derby, finished second ahead of that rival by a head. Get Her Number, who like Super Stock was an also ran behind 1-5 Arkansas Derby favorite Concert Tour in the G2 Rebel Stakes on March 13, finished fourth, another half-length back.

The Arkansas Derby was the final qualifying points race for the 2021 Kentucky Derby, offering 100-40-20-10 to the top four finishers.

The victory was the fifth in the Arkansas Derby for trainer Steve Asmussen, who was awarded victory in a division of last year's running with Basin following the disqualification of Charlatan due to a failed drug test. He also won with Creator in 2016, Curlin in 2007 and Private Emblem in 2002. The five wins ties Asmussen with Todd Pletcher for the most victories in the race by a trainer.

Caddo River, breaking from the two post under Florent Geroux, gunned for the lead after the break. Concert Tour broke sharply from post five in the six-horse field under Joel Rosario but was not able to outrun his rival into the first turn, sitting just off Caddo River's flank around the bend and down the backstretch. The opening quarter mile was run in a quick :22.62 and the half mile went in :46.51.

Rosario stepped up the pressure going into the far turn after six furlongs in 1:11.25, while Santana and Super Stock saved ground just behind the two front-runners after breaking from the No. 1 stall. After rounding into the stretch, Santana opted to swing to the outside of both rivals rather than look for an inside route, and Super Stock responded, overtaking the two leaders in the final furlong after a mile fractional time of 1:37.64.

The win was a family affair for the Asmussens, as the trainer's father, Keith, a longtime respected horseman and former quarter horse jockey, is co-owner. Steve Asmussen's son, also named Keith, rode Super Stock in his first three starts during a brief riding career that mirrored his father's short tenure in the saddle before outgrowing the occupation. One of the races in which Keith Asmussen rode Super Stock was the colt's only previous victory in the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park last Aug. 11.

Bred in Kentucky by Pedro and P.J. Gonzalez, Super Stock is out of the Closing Argument mare, Super Girlie. He was a $70,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by Keith Asmussen and Erv Woolsey from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

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