11Citizen Bull

Citizen Bull wins American Pharoah S. (G1) at Santa Anita

Owner

SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Masterson, Robert E., Ryan, Tom J., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine

Trainer

Bob Baffert

Jockey

Garcia, Martin

Breeder

Robert Low & Lawana Low

Earnings

$1,436,000

Color

Bay

Home > Derby Horses > Citizen Bull

Overview

Who is Kentucky Derby horse Citizen Bull?

Citizen Bull is a budding star as a bay colt who's blazed through his juvenile campaign with the kind of progression that gets Derby dreamers excited. Breaking his maiden at Del Mar in mid-August, this son of No Joke showed he was no joke himself, taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight by daylight with Martin Garcia in the irons.

The real story here isn't just the wins -- it's the way this colt has developed. After cutting his teeth in sprints, he tackled seven furlongs in September at Del Mar, finishing third in stakes company. That loss proved to be a mere stepping stone. His morning works at Santa Anita -- particularly that bullet five-eighths in 58.80 on October 26 -- telegraphed his readiness for the big stage.

And boy, did he deliver. First came a commanding victory in the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep of the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita, stretching out to 1 1/16 miles like he was born to route. Then, just weeks later, he put an exclamation point on his campaign by capturing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, cementing his status as the division leader and earning 30 more points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The numbers tell the tale: four starts, three wins, one show, and a bankroll swelling past $1.3 million. But it's the way he's done it -- stretching from sprints to routes, handling different tracks, and beating increasingly tougher competition -- that has the racing world buzzing. His systematic progression through his workout pattern, from those early two-furlong breezes at Los Al to his recent stakes-winning form, reads like a textbook example of patient, masterful development.

For handicappers keeping notes for 2025: here's a colt who's won from different posts, handled fast tracks with aplomb, and shown tactical versatility. The Triple Crown trail beckons, and Citizen Bull has already proven he's got the tools to answer the call.

RELATED ARTICLES:

JOHNSON: Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Citizen Bull

HANSON: Citizen Bull, Immersive clinch Breeders' Cup and juvenile titles

REILLY: Citizen Bull wires American Pharoah

MUCCIOLO: Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Citizen Bull [BC Juvenile]

MUCCIOLO: Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Citizen Bull [American Pharoah S.]

TWINSPIRES: 2025 Kentucky Derby News and Notes

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🐂 Citizen Bull wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile!

pic.twitter.com/hNQeTqGO1v

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 2, 2024

Pedigree

Sire Name Into Mischief

Dam Name No Joke

Race History

Citizen Bull Past Races

Citizen Bull emerged victorious in a competitive field of ten two-year-old colts and geldings at Del Mar's Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 1, 2024. Breaking from post position 6 under jockey Martin Garcia, the Kentucky-bred colt, trained by Bob Baffert, rewarded his backers with a $33.80 payout for a $2 win bet.

The race featured a notable 1-2 finish for trainer Bob Baffert, as Citizen Bull held off his stablemate Gaming, ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., finishing second. Hill Road, trained by Adrian Murray and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, completed the trifecta. A third Baffert trainee, Getaway Car, finished fourth.

The victory came in one of the most prestigious juvenile races in North America, carrying a guaranteed purse of $2 million and significant implications for the following year's Triple Crown trail. The exacta paid $71.10, while more ambitious bettors who correctly selected the trifecta were rewarded with a $1,459.25 payout for a 50-cent wager.

Derby News April 1, 2025

Citizen Bull, Journalism clash in Santa Anita Derby; Tenma tops Santa Anita Oaks

A tantalizing, pre-Kentucky Derby (G1) clash between Citizen Bull and Journalism is on tap Saturday in the $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) over 1 1/8 miles.

Citizen Bull Made 6-1 Individual Favorite in Pool 4 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Citizen Bull, the 2024 champion 2-year-old colt and recent winner of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (Grade III), has been tabbed as the 6-1 individual favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager while the pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Olds”...