by V A Benge

Created on: December 19, 2006   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Citation was one of the preeminent thoroughbred racehorses of all time. Blood-Horse magazine ranks him 3rd in the "Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century"; surpassed only by Secretariat at number two and Man o' War at the top of the list, respectively.

Citation won his first race as a two-year-old and when his career ended in 1951, he had become the first horse in history to earn winnings of over $1 million. In 45 career races he posted 32 firsts,10 seconds, and two thirds.

Sired by Bull Lea, from dam, Hydroplane II, the bay colt was born on April 11, 1945 at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. This farm also produced Whirlaway, the Triple Crown winner of 1941, along with other notable thoroughbreds - Alydar, Armed, Bewitch, Coaltown, Forward Pass, Tim Tam, Twilight Tear and Two Lea - among others.

The 1948 thoroughbred racing season was to belong to Citation. In his first race of the year, he defeated his "half-brother", Armed. (Armed, another Calumet Farm product, by sire - Bull Lea from dam - Armful, had been named Horse of the Year for 1947.)

Citation entered the 1948 Kentucky Derby ridden by the legendary, hall of fame jockey Eddie Arcaro. His trainers were father and son, Ben and Jimmy Jones. Stablemate, Coaltown, led Citation by six lengths in the first half mile of the race. Nonetheless, known for his staying power and instinct to win at all odds, Citation caught and passed Coaltown, winning the race by 3 lengths; according to official results, "handily" on a "sloppy" track.

The great horse went on to win both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes that year, to record his place in history as the 8th Triple Crown winner. He had raced in the Jersey Derby in the time between the Preakness and Belmont, winning that race easily by 11 lengths. He remained the "latest triple winner" for 25 years until Secretariat took the crown in 1973.

At the end of the 1948 racing season, Citation had won 19 of his 20 starts, 17 of which were stakes races, and was named Horse of the Year. As a three-year-old he won 27 of 29 races, coming in 2nd twice.

An arthritic joint prevented Citation from racing at all in the 1949 season and thereafter seriously hampered his career.

After his retirement in 1951, Citation stood stud at Calumet Farm. He helped produce several notable offspring. However, none came close to their sire's achievements.

Citation was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of fame in 1959. He died on August 8, 1970 at the age of 25 and is buried in the horse cemetery at Calumet Farm, Lexington, Kentucky.

Eddie Arcaro called him "the best horse ever".

For more information visit:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com
http://www.churchi lldowns.com
http://www.racingmusuem.org

Learn more about this author, V A Benge.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.