Citizen Bull heads Baffert trio in five-horse Lewis
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Citizen Bull wins the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
Champion two-year-old male Citizen Bull will open his three-year-old campaign in Saturday’s $200,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita. The one-mile test will offer 42 qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2 scale) as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series, and Citizen Bull is one of three entered by six-time Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Bob Baffert.
A gate-to-wire winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and American Pharoah (G1) last fall, Citizen Bull figures to show speed from post 2 with regular rider Martin Garcia. The bay Into Mischief colt has captured three of four career starts.
Stablemates Rodriguez and Madaket Road are his main rivals.
Rodriguez, a stylish maiden winner the second time out on Jan. 4, will jump straight to stakes competition. The promising son of Authentic registered a 97 Brisnet Speed rating for the seven-length romp in his first two-turn attempt, and Juan Hernandez will be back up.
Madaket Road opened his racing career with a rallying second in the seven-furlong 6Bob Hope (G3) last November, and the gray colt came back to defeat maiden special weight rivals on the Santa Anita opening day. The Quality Road colt was flattered when third-placer San Saba came back to break his maiden nicely last weekend, and Madaket Road will add Frankie Dettori.
Clock Tower figures to add to the pace moving turf to dirt for Wesley Ward, leading all the way in the Dec. 1 Cecil de Mille (G3) at Del Mar, and maiden claiming winner Valentines Candy completes the field.
I’ll Have Another, who captured the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 2012 before being sidelined by a career-ending injury, is the last horse to sweep the Lewis and Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby week, spring meet tickets go on sale Thursday (Jan 30, 2025) at noon!
2025 Kentucky Derby week special events:
- Opening Night: The Great Gatsby, A Louisville Legacy | Saturday, April 26
- Dawn at the Downs Dining | Sunday, April 27 and Monday, April 28
- 502’sDay: Celebrating Ali, Louisville’s Greatest | Wednesday, April 30
- Thurby / Taste of Derby | Thursday, May 1
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