Juvenile champ Citizen Bull returns in Robert B. Lewis
Jan 28, 2025
Citizen Bull wins the American Pharoah S. (G1) at Santa Anita (Photo by Benoit Photo)
Unsurprisingly, the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita on Saturday is shaping as an intramural battle among a group of three-year-olds trained by Bob Baffert, who has won the last six editions of the Lewis and 12 overall. But this renewal will have a bit more attention than usual, due to the presence of reigning juvenile champion Citizen Bull.
Wrapping up championship honors last fall with back-to-back victories in the American Pharoah (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Citizen Bull kicks off his path to the Kentucky Derby (G1) in the one-mile Lewis, which offers Derby qualifying points of 20-10-6-4-2 to the respective finishers in the field of five.
🐂 Citizen Bull wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile!
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 2, 2024
Citizen Bull's stakes wins were nearly identical in style, wire-to-wire triumphs in which he endured only mild pressure. Chances are his stalk-and-pounce abilities will be more tested in the Lewis, given the natural speed of stablemate Rodriguez, who blazed to a seven-length maiden win on Jan. 4. Another stablemate, last-out maiden winner Madaket Road, drew the rail for the Lewis and is coming out of a pair of sprints in which the early tempos were quite fast.
Looking to topple all three Baffert colts is Clock Tower, who placed in both initial starts on dirt before upping his game on the grass. The Wesley Ward-trained gelding most recently led throughout in the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar, thus he, too, could add fuel to what is already a pace-filled race.
The outsider in the field is Valentines Candy, who graduated two back facing $50,000 California-bred maiden claimers in his eighth career start.
The Lewis has a scheduled post time of 4:30 p.m. ET and can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.
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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