Kentucky Derby Contender: Citizen Bull

Updated profiles, with post positions and track odds for the 20 3-year-olds entered for the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) at  Churchill Downs is Saturday (May 3).

Kentucky Derby Contender: Citizen Bull

His ownership assemblage could not have been more thrilled with Citizen Bull’s progression from a 5 ½-furlong maiden win to a dual Grade 1 winning 2-year-old champion and onto a front-running victory over stablemates Rodriguez and Madaket Road in his sophomore debut in the Bob Lewis (G3) in February. 

To say that glee was extinguished by his fourth-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5 might be a bit of an overstatement. Still, there’s no denying his connections were somewhat confounded by his performance. After leading through moderate fractions of 47.14 and 1:11.42 in the 1 1/8-mile race, the son of Into Mischief did his best impression of a pancake and flattened out to finish 9 ¾ lengths behind Journalism. 

“He got tired,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert after the race. “He’s a heavy horse. The track was deep. We’ll figure it out.” 

The bay colt returned to the work tab on April 13 for the first time since the Santa Anita Derby, clocked in 47.60 seconds for a half mile, 12th fastest of 102 at the distance, and 1:01.00 for 5 furlongs, 35th of 89 at the distance. 

Citizen Bull is one of three Kentucky Derby contenders from Baffert’s barn, and he will be competing in his first Kentucky Derby since 2021, when his Medina Spirit was disqualified for a medication violation and Mandaloun was declared the official winner. Currently tied with Ben A. Jones, should he win, Baffert would become the leading Derby-winning trainer with seven victories. Once the darling of the Derby hopefuls, Citizen Bull finished 11th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, with stablemate Rodriguez, winner of the Wood Memorial, in fourth. Baffert’s third contender is Madaket Road. 

Kentucky Derby Betting Advice

Bloodlines say yes, but the recent form says no. Still, it’s Baffert back in action for the first time since 2021, and he’s not going down without a fight. Include in all wagers. 

Contender Information Card

• Post position: 1  
• Odds: 20-1
• Jockey: Martin Garcia 
• Trainer: Bob Baffert 
• Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan
• Career record: 6-4-0-1 
• Career earnings: $1,451,000 
• Last race: Santa Anita Derby (G1), April 5, 4th 
• Derby points: 71.25 (11th) 
• Top Equibase speed figure: 107 
• Pedigree:  Into Mischief-No Joke, by Distorted Humor 
• Color: Bay
• Running style: On or close to the lead 
• Notes: Citizen Bull won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November at Del Mar at 15-1 odds. The previous BC Juvenile winner to capture the Run for the Roses was Nyquist (2015-2016) … Jockey Martin Garcia is 0-for-4 in the Kentucky Derby, with his best finish coming when third aboard Dortmund in 2015 … Citizen Bull’s sire, Into Mischief, had been known as a sire of sprinters, although Authentic became his first classic winner in the 2020 Kentucky Derby … Street Sense became the first horse to win the BC Juvenile and Derby (2015-2016).

US Racing Team

The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.