Horse Racing: Citation, the eighth American Triple Crown winner
Foaled on the 11th of April 1945, the great racehorse has the honour of winning at least 16 meets in a row along with two other legendary Thoroughbreds, Cigar and Zenyatta. Sired by Bull Lea out of Hydroplane (GB), the talented stallion was the
first racehorse in the history of American horse racing history to have earned one million dollars by winning the stakes race competitions.
The bay coloured stallion was owned and bred by Calumet Farm situated in Lexington, Kentucky. The champion racehorse was trained by the Hall of Fame inductee trainer Ben Jones and Jimmy Jones. Initially Citation was ridden by Al Snider, but later on his
responsibility was given to the jockeys Steve Brooks and Eddie Arcaro.
The racehorse started his career at the age of two. He kicked off his athletic career at Harve de Grace, Maryland. Citation then went on to surpass the track record at Arlington Park, the race which he won over five furlongs. The champion managed to win
eight of the nine career starts that he contended. At the end of this racing season, Citation had $155,680. The two major wins that were added to Citation’s list of credentials at the end of the 1947 racing season were the ones at Futurity Stakes and Pimlico
Futurity. Acknowledging his spectacular performances as two year old racehorse, Citation was adorned with the United States Champion Two Year Old colt.
The second racing season contended by the legendary thoroughbred (1948) was particularly significant for his athletic career. Citation began this season from the allowance race in which he managed to hold off Armed, the 1947 Horse of the Year. This race
was called the Seminole Handicap. He first finished the Tanforan Handicap (1948) and the Flamingo Stakes (1948) that were run at the Hialeah Park.
Citation then went on to won the Kentucky Derby, under the jockey Arcaro, by a distance of 3 ½ lengths. The winner was then sent out as a favourite for the Preakness Stakes, which he won by 5 ½ lengths. Citation then contended the third leg of the Triple
Crown, the Belmont Stakes. He won this event as well and became the eighth United States Triple Crown champion.
Apart from these significant races, Citation also won the Stars and Stripes Handicap (1948), Jockey Club Gold Cup (1948), American Derby (1948) and the Pimlico Special (1948). The great racehorse contended 29 starts in this racing season, out of which he
won 27 races and earned a total of $ 865,150. At the end of this racing season, Citation was named as the 1948 Horse of the Year. Moreover, he was also awarded with the United States Champion Three Year Old colt of 1948.
Unfortunately, Citation developed an osselet due to which he could not compete in any meet of the 1949 racing season. He then made an effective comeback in 1950, when he won the 16th race of his streak at Santa Anita Park. The Triple Crown champion
was then brought to the track again as a six year old competitor. His owners wanted the racehorse to set the record of becoming the first thoroughbred to earn a million dollars. This goal was achieved by Citation when he emerged victorious from the Hollywood
Premiere Handicap, after his two third place finishes. The champion was not lucky enough to win the Argonaut Handicap, but he made up for this loss by winning the Century Handicap, American Handicap, and then the Hollywood Gold Cup. After winning the Hollywood
Gold Cup, the purse earnings of the great stallion crossed 1 million.
The great thoroughbred stallion was then inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the year 1956. The race that is run at the Hollywood Park Racetrack has been names as Citation Handicap to honour the United States Champion Older Horse
(1951).
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