Kentucky Derby: Citizen Bull's name has some moving parts

What’s behind the name Citizen Bull? The 2024 champion 2-year-old male ranks among the leading Kentucky Derby prospects for an ownership group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, and Stonestreet Stables.

But how did the colt get his cool, catchy name? Creative thinking by SF racing manager Tom Ryan.

“I was looking at luxury watches, Citizen Bullhead watches,” Ryan said. “I didn’t like the name Citizen Bullhead” – for a horse – “and I didn’t like the name Bullhead” for a horse.

But there was something there. Ryan found it with a minor tweak.

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“I made up the name Citizen Bull, just made it up,” he said. “It means nothing, but it did come from the Citizen Bullhead watch.”

Citizen Bull, trained by Bob Baffert, has won 4 of 5 starts and is expected to run April 5 in the Santa Anita Derby.

Shirreffs familiar with Baeza

Baeza, the well-bred colt named for the retired Hall of Fame jockey, is actually the second Baeza to make his way to trainer John Shirreffs. The first Baeza in the stable was the famous jockey.

“When I went back East for a couple years, Braulio was helping me in the barn,” Shirreffs said referring to intermittent periods from 2013 to 2015 when he stabled at Belmont Park.

Shirreffs said the retired Baeza “wanted to be around the barn, he’d hold horses, walk horses, watch horses.”

Shirreffs said Baeza also was a practical joker who loved pranks. Shirreffs was often on the receiving end of Baeza’s gags. One day Shirreffs reciprocated by placing bricks behind Baeza’s car tires so Baeza could not back his car out.

“He wanted to back out, and the car wasn’t going anywhere,” Shirreffs laughed. “I got him!”

Shirreffs never told Baeza who pulled the prank.

“I didn’t want him to come back and do the same thing to me,” Shirreffs said.

Baeza the horse, owned by CRK Stables of Lee and Susan Searing, starts next in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Baeza, the retired Panamanian jockey who will be 85 later this month, was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1976.

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