Recently crowned, the colt will face just 4 rivals this saturday at Santa Anita Park
ARCADIA, California (Special for Turf Diario) – Champion 2-Year-Old Colt of 2024, Citizen Bull, is set to make his seasonal debut in Saturday’s G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The son of Into Mischief, last seen dominating the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in early November, will kickstart his 3-year-old campaign in the mile contest on dirt, as he begins his march toward the spring classics.
Owned by a powerhouse partnership including SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Determined Stables, and others, Citizen Bull is one of three entries for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Lewis an impressive 12 times. Baffert’s dominance in California’s 2-year-old division looks set to continue in 2025, with the trainer holding a strong hand in the five-horse field.
Originally slated to offer 20-10-6-4-2 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Lewis will now distribute 75% of the points due to the field size. If further scratches occur and only four runners compete, just 50% of the points will be awarded.
Citizen Bull, who also captured the G1 American Pharoah Stakes as a juvenile, has been training sharply in the mornings. His chief rival appears to be stablemate Rodríguez, a promising son of Authentic. After finishing second on debut, Rodríguez broke his maiden in style, romping by seven lengths in a swift mile at Santa Anita.
The third Baffert trainee, Madaket Road (Quality Road), adds further depth to the lineup. Runner-up in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes on debut at Del Mar, he struggled slightly to break his maiden, winning by just half a length over six furlongs.
Trainer Wesley Ward ships in Clock Tower (Not This Time), who captured the G3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes on turf at Del Mar last season. Clock Tower was also third in Keeneland’s G3 Bourbon Stakes but now faces the challenge of switching surfaces to dirt.
Rounding out the field is Valentines Candy (Danzing Candy), a longshot with an unremarkable campaign to date.
The Robert B. Lewis Stakes serves as a critical early-season test, with Citizen Bull looking to reaffirm his status as a leading Kentucky Derby contender in a race Baffert has dominated year after year.
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