By Jill Williams
On a weekend of stellar 2-year-old racing with a plethora of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' berths on the line, Citizen Bull (c, 2, Into Mischief–No Joke, by Distorted Humor) closed out Saturday's graded action with victory in the GI American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita. He earned a fees-paid entry to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and gave his trainer, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, a 13th win in the American Pharoah, which had previously been branded both the Frontrunner Stakes and Norfolk Stakes at different times. Winning the race for the fourth consecutive year, Baffert already held the record number of wins going into the 8 1/2-furlong event and, for good measure, filled out this edition's exacta with 'TDN Rising Star' Getaway Car (Curlin). Both the one-two finishers are owned by a massive common ownership group consisting of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC, and Catherine Donovan.
A debut maiden winner in August at Del Mar, Citizen Bull was sent as the favorite in last month's GI Del Mar Futurity but finished third. The $675,000 Keeneland September yearling posted just two workouts since, but both were sharp, including five panels in :59 1/5 (2/25) Sept. 27 over this surface. His debut Beyer Speed Figure, an 84, was second best in this field behind only Getaway Car's 85 in a GIII Best Pal Stakes win in August. Getaway Car finished one spot behind Citizen Bull in the Del Mar Futurity.
Third choice Saturday, Citizen Bull showed immediate speed leaving the stalls. Leading the field, he angled over to the rail with his ears flicking back and forth and maintained about a length on Getaway Car all the way around. Despite his stablemate chasing hot on his heels, Citizen Bull held sway, tossing up :23.85 and :47.78 fractions. As Getaway Car threatened to close the gap, Citizen Bull got a couple of reminders from rider Martin Garcia–who also rode him in his maiden win–and kept his mind on business. Despite swapping to his wrong lead in midstretch, he couldn't be caught. Two lengths back at the wire, Getaway Car held second, 5 3/4 lengths ahead of McKinzie Street (McKinzie), who was second, ahead of both his rivals, in the Del Mar Futurity.
“At Del Mar, [Citizen Bull] really needed that race. Mike [Smith] rode him and the colt was heavy, and he's still heavy,” said Baffert. “This track is very demanding. It is very deep and slow. You could tell he was getting tired at the end, so I think he will get so much out of this race. He is a good doer, he's a good strong colt. He's bred really well. I'm proud of both my horses, I think Getaway Car, he was in a good spot, but Citizen Bull, you could tell it was going to be hard to get by him.”
Pedigree Notes:
Into Mischief went all summer without adding any new Grade I winners to his tally, unusual territory for the reigning five-time leading sire. Lest anyone think he's losing his touch, Citizen Bull marked the Spendthrift stallion's 22nd career Grade I winner, fifth on the year, and second on the day following Gina Romantica's repeat win in Keeneland's First Lady Stakes. To no one's surprise, Into Mischief leads all North American sires on the 2024 tables by black-type winners (30), graded winners (15), and progeny earnings (over $29 million). Citizen Bull is his 78th career graded winner and 162nd black-type winner.
WinStar's pensioned Distorted Humor, perennially one of the best broodmare sires in the business, has been responsible for some of Into Mischief's best runners. Citizen Bull is the 11th stakes winner bred on the exact cross and joins other GISWs Life Is Good and Practical Joke. Distorted Humor has 156 black-type winners out of his daughters.
Robert and Lawana Low bred Citizen Bull in Kentucky out of their unraced mare No Joke, whom they purchased as a $750,000 yearling at Keeneland September in 2017. The mare is a half to MGISW Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon), while her granddam is Evil Elaine, dam of 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick (Phone Trick). No Joke delivered a Mandaloun colt in March and was bred back to Life Is Good. The 2025 foal will be inbred 3×2 to Distorted Humor.
#3 CITIZEN BULL ($8.60) is headed to the @BreedersCup Juvenile with a win in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at @santaanitapark. This win also earned him 10 points for the @KentuckyDerby. The 2YO Into Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) colt was ridden by Martin Garcia for @BobBaffert. pic.twitter.com/mxKeOpuPSL
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 6, 2024
Saturday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN PHAROAH S. PRESENTED BY DK HORSE-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 10-5, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.30, ft.
1–CITIZEN BULL, 122, c, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: No Joke, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Unenchantedevening, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Evil Elaine, by Medieval Man
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE
I WIN. ($675,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight
Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne
Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J.
Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan;
B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Martin Garcia.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $261,000. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Getaway Car, 122, c, 2, Curlin–Surrender Now, by Morning
Line. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Wlg '22
KEENOV; $700,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight
Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne
Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J.
Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Blue
Heaven Farm & Curlin Syndicate (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–McKinzie Street, 122, c, 2, McKinzie–Karpathos, by Tale of
the Cat. ($120,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP;
$290,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Leslie A. & Pierre Jean Amestoy,
Jr. and Roger K. Beasley; B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Tim Yakteen.
$36,000.
Margins: 2, 5 3/4, 6HF. Odds: 3.30, 1.30, 1.90.
Also Ran: Emerald Bay, Show of Force, Start Mo Up, Mischief River.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
