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| Staff Writer |
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Citizen Bull turning in a sparkling workout at Churchill Downs, clocking five furlongs in :58 2/5 as the Kentucky Derby contender showcasing his readiness for Saturday's classic. The reigning 2YO champion, under Derby jockey Martin Garcia, working comfortably through splits of :11 3/5, :23, and :45 4/5 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27 1/5.
"The track's pretty fast, but he did it real easy," said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
The son of Into Mischief posting the quickest five-furlong breeze among 15 Monday morning workouts, with stablemate Rodriguez having completed his final Derby preparation the previous day. Both colts representing an ownership consortium including SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables.
A front-running graded stakes winner in three routes, Citizen Bull pressed the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Gr.1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5 before fading to fourth, beaten 9 3/4 lengths by Journalism, the Kentucky Derby favourite. Baffert suggesting his charge may have been short of fitness in his first start in two months.
Questions persisting whether the muscled Citizen Bull, weighing approximately 1,200 pounds, will relish the classic 1 1/4-mile distance of the Derby, compared to race favourites including Journalism, Sovereignty and Sandman.
"The distance is always the question mark on a lot of these horses. Most of them want to go a mile," Baffert said. "But the way he looked today, I'm happy with the way he looks. He’s ready to run well."
The Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner breezed in blinkers on Monday, contrasting with some of his California workouts. The equipment, designed to keep a horse's attention focused straight ahead while minimising distractions, will be worn in Saturday's classic.
"You feel sick to your stomach for about 30 seconds and then you accept it. … You can't worry about it," Baffert commented regarding Citizen Bull drawing the rail position, from which no horse has won the Derby since Ferdinand in 1986.
Coal Battle completing a three-furlong move in :36 under exercise rider Bethany Taylor, who encouraged the colt to finish sharply—a consistent pattern in his Derby preparations.
The son of Coal Front, boasting a 5-for-6 record on dirt with his lone defeat being a third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Gr.1 Arkansas Derby on March 29, displaying his competitive nature only when racing rather than training.
Trainer Lonnie Briley opting for more regular breezes leading up to the Derby after noticing his charge was too keen early in the Arkansas Derby under jockey Juan Vargas, potentially compromising his finish.
Coal Battle, owned by Norman Stables and selected by 72-year-old Briley as a yearling, standing amongst the smaller Derby contenders this year, with taller, longer-striding horses typically considered better suited to longer distances.
"They'll do it a lot easier, but if they get checked and have to regroup and restart, that's an issue," said Briley, the horseman from Opelousas, Louisiana.
The colt's nimble acceleration proving effective when beating Sandman in the 1 1/16-mile Gr.2 Rebel Stakes before his Arkansas Derby performance.
"And that's kind of what we like about him," Briley added.
Baeza, currently an alternate requiring a scratch before 9 a.m. ET on May 2 to gain entry to the 20-horse field, breezing five furlongs in 1:02 under Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat.
After returning to the barn, Prat informing trainer John Shirreffs and owners—Lee and Susan Searing of CRK Stable and Robert Clay of Grandview Equine—that the colt worked well.
"Fingers crossed," he said regarding their horse drawing into the Derby.
"A seat on the bus, that's all we want," Clay replied.
Clay's Grandview Equine breeding Baeza, a son of McKinzie, as well as the colt's famous half-brothers, 2023 Gr.1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Gr.1 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, out of the Big Brown mare Puca. The latter selling for US$2.9 million to John Stewart at the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and recently named 2024 Broodmare of the Year.
Should Baeza not make the field, Prat will partner Neoquous from post 2 for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The Neolithic colt, owned by a partnership including C2 Racing Stable and Ian Parsard, twice finishing third in graded stakes—the Gr.2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and Gr.1 Florida Derby .
"I'll talk to Saffie and see what he can tell me about the horse, but I've watched his races. He's usually a forwardly placed horse. I like the draw; I like the horses around me as they have speed. So, I think that's a good thing, too," Prat noted.
Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona, representing Japan, tentatively scheduled to breeze on Tuesday morning ahead of expected heavy rainfall later in the day.
Their respective trainers, Noriyuki Hori and Yukihiro Kato, expected to arrive at Churchill Downs for Tuesday morning training after landing in Kentucky on Monday. Both horses have been under the care of assistants and support staff since their arrival.