By Steve Sherack
DEL MAR, CA – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had three chances at a record-extending sixth winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Friday. And none of them were favored.
Let go at odds of 15-1, Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) made every pole a winning one while leading home a one-two-four finish for Baffert's powerhouse stable. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to Gaming (Game Winner) in second. Irish raider Hill Road (Quality Road) rallied from last of 10 to tag 'TDN Rising Star' Getaway Car (Curlin) by a neck for third. Baffert's Breeders' Cup count now stands at 19.
“I told all my riders, your plan is to win the race,” Baffert said. “So, they rode their horses the way they thought. Getaway Car, he has speed. We know Citizen Bull is very quick, very fast. Gaming, I don't think he got away as good as he could have. I was surprised to see him laying second. And I figured they weren't going too fast because Gaming, he was wanting to go.”
Baffert continued, “But, in order to win these races, you need a good horse. And you have to have the right trip, the right luck. I wish they could dead-heat–one, two, three–but it didn't happen.”
The complexion of the Juvenile–which figured to have a very contested pace–was changed dramatically at the start when favored GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner and 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) stumbled badly from his rail draw.
Martin Garcia put Citizen Bull, a last-out front-running winner of the GI American Pharoah Stakes Oct. 5, on the lead and it was lights-out from there. He was allowed to coast through fractions of :23.44 and :47.89 with his stablemates chasing from second and third and was in control on the turn for home as the likes of East Avenue and 'TDN Rising Stars' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) and Ferocious (Flatter) were making no serious impact.
Citizen Bull turned them in, began to kick clear from Gaming in the stretch and was firmly in front into the final furlong to pull off the upset.
The well-documented suspension of Baffert from racetracks owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc. was rescinded over the summer. With the win, Citizen Bull earned 30 points toward next spring's GI Kentucky Derby.
“It means we don't have to discuss that situation again,” Baffert said when asked about returning to the Derby at the post-race press conference.
“Right now, it's too far out, and you really don't know if you have a Derby horse until about February, January, etc. Things happen. So, I don't get too far ahead of myself. I just focus on what's in front of me this week or next week. It's good to be in the conversation. But it's still a long ways off.”
Citizen Bull, a 3/4-length debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 17, was third as the favorite behind his previously mentioned stablemate Gaming in the GI Del Mar Futurity Sept. 8. Citizen Bull was making his two-turn debut in the American Pharoah.
All four of Garcia's previous Breeders' Cup winners–Bayern (Classic), Drefong (Sprint), New Year's Day (Juvenile) and Secret Circle (Sprint)–were also trained by Baffert.
“My horse was just running easy early and the other horse (Gaming) was just cruising in second,” Garcia said. “And, when it was time to go, the horse just took off.”
Citizen Bull, a $675,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, is campaigned in partnership by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan.
“It's been amazing,” SF Racing's Tom Ryan said. “We've won the Kentucky Derby and the Classic with Authentic. We've come back today, this is the first time I've been associated with a Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, and I couldn't be more proud to be part of this with (Madaket's) Sol (Kumin) and Bob (Baffert) and (Starlight Racing's) Jack (Wolf).”
Pedigree Notes:
Citizen Bull becomes the eighth Breeders' Cup winner for out-of-this-world sire Into Mischief. The Into Mischief x Distorted Humor cross is also responsible for MGISW and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good and MGISW Practical Joke. Distorted Humor is also the broodmare sire of the gone-to-soon 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Arrogate.
The Summer Wind Equine-bred and unraced No Joke was a $750,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Robert E. and Lawana Low. After producing a colt by Mandaloun this year, No Joke, a half-sister to MGISW Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon), was bred back to Life Is Good.
This is also the extended female family of Favorite Trick, who capped his 1997 Horse of the Year campaign with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Freshman sire and GI Belmont Stakes winner Tiz The Law appears further down on his page as well.
Friday, Del Mar
FANDUEL BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE PRESENTED BY THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE-GI, $1,840,000, Del Mar, 11-1, 2yo, c/g, 1 1/16m, 1:43.07, 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
($675,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Martin Garcia. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $1,301,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gaming, 122, c, 2, Game Winner–So Stylish, by Johannesburg. ($40,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $340,000.
3–Hill Road, 122, c, 2, Quality Road–Exotic Notion, by Lemon Drop Kid. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($350,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Amo Racing USA; B-Lynch Bages LTD & Camas Park Stud (KY); T-Adrian Murray. $180,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3 1/4, NK. Odds: 15.90, 6.10, 61.10.
Also Ran: Getaway Car, Ferocious, Chancer McPatrick, Jonathan's Way, Ecoro Azel, East Avenue, Shin Believe.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Citizen Bull (15-1) CRUISES to a Juvenile win at the Breeders' Cup! 🏆 🤩 pic.twitter.com/gRAcDEqCxW
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 1, 2024
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