Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Citizen Bull

Citizen Bull joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby with frontrunning successes in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah (G1) and 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

A brief glance at Citizen Bull’s pedigree might suggest 1 1/16 miles is the upper limit of his distance capabilities, leaving the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby (G1) out of reach. After all, both his sire and dam sire were sprinter/milers who failed to prove their worth over 1 1/4 miles.

But there’s a lot more to analyzing pedigrees than simply reviewing the successes and failures of immediate ancestors as racehorses. When it comes to the stallions in pedigrees, one must consider the types of runners they sire. It’s possible for a sprinter to consistently sire top-tier route racers, and vice versa.

This is relevant to the pedigree of Citizen Bull. His sire, Into Mischief, seemed destined to sire sprinters and milers after winning the 1 1/16-mile CashCall Futurity (G1) and finishing second in the seven-furlong Malibu (G1). And certainly many of his runners have followed this route, with prime examples including Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winners Life Is Good and Goldencents and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) heroines Gamine and Covfefe.

But guess what? Into Mischief is also the sire of two Kentucky Derby winners: Mandaloun (2021) and Authentic (2020). The latter earned Horse of the Year honors after adding the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to his record.

Sure, Into Mischief is typically a source of speed, with his progeny winning at a modest average distance of 6.8 furlongs. But no one can claim he’s incapable of siring a Kentucky Derby winner. It helps that Into Mischief is a half-sibling to four-time champion Beholder and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Mendelssohn, major stakes winners over distances as far as 1 1/4 miles and about 1 3/16 miles, respectively.

The bottom half of Citizen Bull’s pedigree demonstrates the same. His dam is No Joke, an unraced daughter of Distorted Humor out of Unenchantedevening. Distorted Humor was a pure sprinter/miler, winning a quartet of graded stakes over distances from seven furlongs to one mile. Like Into Mischief, his progeny win at a speed-oriented average distance, in this case 7.1 furlongs.

But the best of Distorted Humor’s runners have proven thoroughly capable of handling classic distances. Champion three-year-old male Funny Cide won the Kentucky Derby and 1 3/16-mile Preakness. Drosselmeyer took the 1 1/2-mile Belmont (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic. And don’t forget 1 1/4-mile Travers (G1) winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Flower Alley, the sire of champion and Kentucky Derby/Preakness hero I’ll Have Another.

Distorted Humor’s record as a broodmare sire is also encouraging. Daughters of Arrogate have foaled:

• Arrogate, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Travers, and Dubai World Cup (G1) racing 1 1/4 miles. As a stallion, Arrogate is responsible for Belmont winner Arcangelo and Preakness hero Seize the Grey.
• Golden Sixty, a 10-time Group 1 winner in Hong Kong who won running as far as 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles).
• Happy Saver, conqueror of the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
• Elate, winner of the 1 1/4-mile Alabama (G1) and two editions of the 1 1/4-mile Delaware H. (G2).
• Constitution, winner of the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby (G1) and 1 1/8-mile Donn H. (G1). Constitution is the sire of Tiz the Law, winner of the Travers and also a shortened 1 1/8-mile edition of the Belmont.

If there’s one knock on the pedigree of Citizen Bull, it’s the fact the cross of Into Mischief with Distorted Humor mares has tended thus far to yield sprinters a milers like the above-mentioned Life Is Good and also Practical Joke, a three-time Grade 1 winner over distances from seven furlongs to one mile.

But the sample size is relatively small, and the fact both Into Mischief and Distorted Humor have sired Kentucky Derby winners bodes well for Citizen Bull’s chances of success on the first Saturday in May.