Citation, Kentucky Derby Winner, Among Calumet's Finest
In the process of archiving Tony Leonard's collection of photographs, we've come across more than a few pleasant surprises. While we expected--and found--a myriad of photos of the three Triple Crown winners of the 1970s, we didn't know Tony had also captured the 1948 winner Citation on film. Taken as Citation's stud career was winding down and Tony's photography career was just beginning, the photo is a head study of the great Calumet color bearer.
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- Photo Credit: Tony Leonard, 1968
It is a timely find as 66 years ago this week Citation won not only the 1948 Kentucky Derby, but also the Derby Trial Stakes on the Tuesday before. Today's fans, used to the lightly raced horses of modern times, may find it amazing that a horse could win the Run for the Roses on a mere four-day turnaround, but it was common in previous eras.
The Derby Trial became a popular prep race after its inaugural running proved a successful springboard to the Derby in 1924 for Black Gold. In the years until the last horse to get the double win (Calumet's Tim Tam in 1958), the Trial gave us two Triple Crown winners and a handful of Derby winners from among the top three finishers in the Trial.
Moved in 1982 from the Tuesday to the Saturday prior to the Derby, the Trial hasn't yielded another winner of the Derby, and it is unlikely to given current trends. In the 1980's Woody Stephens found success by using it as a prep for Belmont Stakes victories by Caveat and Creme Fraiche.
Citation might have to be considered the greatest winner of the Derby Trial Stakes. In addition to his Triple Crown win, the Calumet Farm-bred and owned runner had a brilliant career. Making 45 starts from age two to six, he won 32 races, ran second 10 times, and was twice third, failing just one time to hit the board.
A champion at two, three, and again at six, Citation was also named Horse of the Year, and he set an American record for winning 16 consecutive stakes races (a record matched later by Cigar and broken by Zenyatta).
Elected to the Racing Hall of Fame, Citation even had an aircraft named after him. When Cessna Aircraft debuted a new small business jet on September 15, 1969, they named it Citation to "evoke the extraordinary combination of abilities that propelled the thoroughbred racehorse by the same name to win the elusive Triple Crown in 1948."
Citation's final accomplishment on the track came on July 14, 1951 in the last race of his career. Facing his stable mate and old nemesis Bewitch (she had been the first horse to ever defeat him when they met as two year olds), Citation easily won the Hollywood Gold Cup by four lengths and in doing so, became the first horse in history to earn a million dollars. Amazingly, Bewitch became the leading money-winning mare of all time with her second-place earnings in the same race - a testament to the power and influence held in the sport by their owner/breeder, Calumet Farm. Both were by Calumet's flagship stallion, Bull Lea.
The Calumet of Warren Wright and later his widow, Lucille Markey, would campaign seven Derby Trial winners, including Fabius, a son of Citation, and eight Kentucky Derby winners.
Next blog: Calumet's eighth Derby win comes in a cloud of controversy.
