Early on April 28 at Churchill Downs, the usually bustling track had a quiet, focused atmosphere. After a busy session the previous day, three Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls took to the track for their final fast workouts, and one of them was Citizen Bull, who has been training under Bob Baffert. But Citizen Bull stood out among the three, cruising through fractions of :11 ⅗, :23, and :45 ⅘. maintaining an easy rhythm. He was ridden by his Kentucky Derby rider, Martin Garcia.
On that day, he extended smoothly to finish six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 and completed seven furlongs in 1:27 ⅕. But in the Kentucky Derby race on May 2, he couldn’t cross close to the finish line first. In fact, Citizen Bull ended up coming 15th in the race. However, after the Kentucky Derby loss, he made a comeback in the July 6 Woody Stephens Stakes, where he came 4th. This comeback might have triggered Bob Baffert to give more opportunities to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, Citizen Bull, in the upcoming $125K race on August 31.
Citizen Bull, the celebrated Eclipse Award winner and Santa Anita Derby champion, delivered a sharp workout on August 19. He covered seven furlongs in 1:24.6 at Del Mar on Saturday under the expert care of trainer Bob Baffert. With this tune-up completed, plans are underway for the rising 3-year-old colt to head next to the $125,000 Shared Belief Stakes on Sunday, August 31. It sets the stage for his continued showcase at the seaside oval.
Citizen Bull worked 7-furlongs in 1:24.6 at @DelMarRacing Saturday for trainer Bob Baffert. The Eclipse Award and Santa Anita Derby winner may go next in the $125k Shared Belief August 31st
@ErnieBPhoto93 pic.twitter.com/K8WyAnTAMC
— sdhorserace (@sdhorserace) August 19, 2025
His recent workout was a solid 7-furlong move clocked in 1:24.6, which suggests Citizen Bull is both fit and in form. Although not a blazing bullet, the time indicates a confident, controlled breeze. And given the colt’s past achievements and his current training indicators, Baffert appears to be positioning him prudently for a strong showing in the Shared Belief Stakes.
The Shared Belief Stakes is a listed race for 3-year-olds. It is one mile long on dirt at Del Mar. The competition on August 31 offers a purse of around $125,000. It serves as a key late-summer target for emerging candidates, notably on August 31, 2025, the final day of the Del Mar summer meet.
Stay tuned, this is a developing story!
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