Citation – Was There A Stronger And More Enthusiastic Race Horse Ever?

By Author: Lee Lane-Edgar
Total Articles: 365
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Talking to race enthusiast there’s one thing that is believed and concurred throughout, Citation was probably the best horse the racing front ever witness or shall ever realize. Having made more remarkable scores than any horse, Citation was in his time of the 50’s the first horse to win and cross the million dollar mark. With more than 20 wins as by the Man o’ War under his belt, Citation was ranked the third on the Blood-Horse Magazine’s finest American Thoroughbred rankings.
The April foal was born to Bull Lea and leading sire and stakes winner, Hyperion on the Calumet Farm, owned and bred by them. The Kentucky bay colt grew up to be trained by Hall of Fame inductees Ben Jones and his son Horace A. “Jimmy” Jones.
Citation made his maiden break at two years old, his first race being Harve de Grace. The year 1947 would witness 8 wins out of 9 impressive starts from this race horse in a number of stakes races such as the Futurity Stakes, Pimlico Futurity and the Elementary Stakes. His career earnings towards the year end had towered to $155,680 inclusive of one and only loss, the Washington Park Futurity ...
... that he lost at the heels of Bewitch, his stable mate.
The champion two year old was more than prepared for his 3 year old season as he opened the year’s maiden with two consecutive victories at an allowance race followed by the Seminole Handicap defeating the 1947 Horse of the Year and a top handicap, Armed. Citation was beginning to make a mark and was speculations about a superstar caught up the equestrian fraternity like wild fire. Well, Citation thoroughly lived up to the towering expectations.
Citation’s milestone race when he lost for the last time in two years to follow was here. Having easily glided to victory in the Everglades Stakes and the Flamingo Stakes, Chesapeake Trial Stakes saw a change of Citation’s rider. After the unfortunate demise of his original jockey Al Snider, Eddie Arcaro was brought in with whom Citation lost the Chesapeake Trials to Saggy. Citation soon avenged his defeat in the Chesapeake Stakes with a 4 ½ length lead to Bovard and Saggy far behind. Next win came in the Derby Trial Stakes.
Soon followed was Citation’s victory over the Triple Crown. Having won the Kentucky Derby by 3 ½ lengths and Preakness by 5 ½ lengths, Citation made a quick win at the Jersey Stakes following into the Belmont Stakes with the same winner’s spirit, keeping up the momentum and emerging victorious at the third leg of the Triple Crown having closed it in a tie with the 6th Triple Crown winner Count Fleet at a record time of 2:28 1/5.
After an array of wins at the Stars and Stripes Handicap, American Derby, Sysonby Mile, Jockey Club Gold Cup, this one by seven lengths over Phalanx, the 1947 Preakness winner and Empire City Gold Cup, and Pimlico Special, Citation closed the year with a pair of wins at California, one being the Tanforan Handicap.
After having developed an osselet, Citation was laid off for his four year old season. He soon but made a comeback in 1950 for his five year old season winning his 16th consecutive race at the Santa Anita Park, the feat was equalled after a long wait by Cigar and later broken by the 19 in a row wins by Zenyatta alone. The next four starts by Citation witnessed him losing miserably to the new import Noor from England who defeated him in all four. Citation closed the year with a world record of 1:33 3/5 in the Golden Gate Mile Handicap.
Before retiring to stud, Citation raced once more in his six year old season when his victories in the Century Handicap, American Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup finally crossed his career winnings of $1 million dollars when his connections finally decided to retire him.
Citation’s bloodline comprises of honourable race horses like Hall of Famer, Silver Spoon and 1956 Preakness winner Fabius to name a few. Citation’s racing career record included 27 wins from 29 starts and two seconds at the end of his three year old season.
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