ARCADIA, Calif. — Citizen Bull triumphed in the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes, crossing the finish line 3 3/4 lengths ahead of his competition at Santa Anita on Saturday. This marked the first race for the 3-year-old colt since clinching the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile title last November.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Citizen Bull completed the mile race in a time of 1:36.71, with jockey Martin Garcia guiding him to victory. His performance earned him 20 valuable qualifying points for the upcoming Kentucky Derby scheduled for May.

“The champ is back,” Baffert expressed enthusiastically. “It’s interesting — you see him, and you might not notice that he has that kind of speed. He doesn’t reveal it in training, but he definitely has that burst.”

Rodriguez secured second place, while Madaket Road finished third, contributing to a strong 1-2-3 finish for Baffert in this Grade 3 race designed for 3-year-olds. With this win, Baffert has now claimed victory in the Lewis Stakes for the seventh consecutive time and 13 times overall throughout his career.

Although Citizen Bull stumbled slightly at the start, he quickly regained his composure and surged forward, establishing an early lead while staying on the inside track.

“While warming him up, it was clear he was eager to run, and you could tell he was prepared,” Garcia commented. “Once the gates opened, it felt like the ground had collapsed under him—he just bolted out but managed to recover almost instantly.”

At odds of 4-5, Citizen Bull returned $3.80 for a win, along with $2.20 for a place and $2.10 for a show. Rodriguez paid out $2.40 and $2.10 respectively, while Madaket Road brought in $2.10 for customers who backed him.