Citizen Bull

The field for the GI Kentucky Derby, ranked in "likeliest winner" order. 1) JOURNALISM (c, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, LaPenta, Robert V., Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. Sales history: $825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $638,880. Last start: WON Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. Journalism is the legitimate and deserving favorite. He checks many of the Derby desirability boxes by being a big, long-striding...

Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), last year's Eclipse champion juvenile, completed his major preparations for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby with a bullet five-furlong work in :58.40 (1/15) Monday at Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs clockers caught Citizen Bull in fractions of :11.60, :23, :45.80, :58.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven-eighths in 1:27.20. "He worked really good out there," said jockey Martin Garcia, who was aboard for the work. "But he was just messin' around. He did it easy." Garcia also revealed that trainer Bob Baffert, who has radio contact...

It's an immense accomplishment to be one of the 20 Thoroughbreds out of the current sophomore crop of 17,146 to earn a coveted starting berth in the GI Kentucky Derby. But the cruel fate of a random post-position draw annually assigns the dreaded No. 1 gate to a single member of that elite set. Because the Derby is unmatched in American racing in its outsized stature and jumbo field size, so too is the stigma of breaking closest to the inside fence prior to the chaotic first-turn free-for-all, where primo...

Kentucky Oaks hopeful and 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon), winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, and the Kentucky Derby-bound Grande (Curlin), runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at the Big A, worked at Keeneland on Friday. Quietside was clocked in :48.20 for a half-mile with her Oaks jockey, Jose Ortiz, in the saddle. "Jose and I had a plan to give her just a half-mile and easy gallop out just to keep her on her toes from here on out," trainer John Ortiz said. "She worked...

Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), last year's champion juvenile, will give jockey Martin Garcia his first Derby mount since 2015. "It's a dream come true," said Garcia, a 40-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico. "It's what every jockey wants." Garcia has ridden in the Kentucky Derby four times, all between 2010 and 2015. His best finish came in 2015 when Dortmund, also trained by Bob Baffert, finished third behind subsequent Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. "I'm excited to get back, most of all because I know I have a very good horse...

As first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening, MGSP Madaket Road (Quality Road) will be pointed to the GII Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard instead of the marquee race that Saturday. After working Friday morning at Santa Anita, where he posted a five furlong move in 1:00.80 (13.32), Madaket Road will now be pointed to the Pat Day and will ship to Churchill Downs with stablemates 'TDN Rising Stars' MGISW Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and GSW Rodriguez (Authentic). "That's sort of been our goal all...

A new kingpin graces the No. 1 slot after the final round of 100-point preps. The rankings below are in "likeliest winner" order, and are independent from the "Road to the Derby" points leaderboard that awards starting berths. 1) JOURNALISM (c, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo) O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, LaPenta, Robert V., Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. Sales history: $825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $638,880. Last start: WON...

The goal of the Kentucky Derby points system should be to make sure the 20 best 3-year olds in the sport make it into the field. Churchill Downs has tweaked the system a couple of times over the years and the changes, for the most part, have been well received. It's a different story this year. Churchill has tweaked the system so that in any race with five horses or fewer the horses receive fewer points than races with six or more horses. The rule is clearly aimed at Santa...

Journalism (c, 3, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo) lived up to his billing and then some. In possibly the most anticipated Derby prep of this year, Journalism proved he was the real deal Saturday in the GI Santa Anita Derby and will go to Louisville as the GI Kentucky Derby favorite. The Santa Anita Derby rewarded points on a scale of 75-37.5-18.75 on the Road to the Derby (reduced due to a smaller field), giving Journalism 122.50 points total and a guaranteed spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. In...

Four weeks in advance of the GI Kentucky Derby, bettors made Journalism (Curlin) the mild 5-1 favorite with champion 2-year-old colt Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) the 8-1 second choice in the sixth and final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW), Churchill Downs said via a press release on Saturday afternoon. The three-day pool closed at 4 p.m. ET in advance of the three Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series races at Aqueduct, Santa Anita and Keeneland. Total handle for the three-day Apr. 3-5 KDFW pool was $483,121...

The final weekend of major preps for both the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Kentucky Oaks got a few extra days tacked on as significant rain around Lexington pushed Keeneland to delay their spring racing features back to Monday and Tuesday next week. While the races will be missed as part of Saturday's action, there is certainly no void as Santa Anita and Aqueduct both offer their final stops on the Road the Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/8-mile GI Santa Anita Derby features a small yet mighty field with...

We're on the cusp of the one-month mark to the GI Kentucky Derby and this Saturday marks the most important weekend of nine-furlong preps on the Triple Crown calendar, with significant stakes at Santa Anita, Keeneland, and Aqueduct. Next week the Top 12 expands to the Top 20 as the actual field begins to take shape. 1) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief-No Joke, by Distorted Humor) 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...