Santa Anita Derby draws only 5, has Ky. Derby points reduced

The Grade 1, $500,000 Santa Anita Derby had its Kentucky Derby 2025 qualifying points reduced by 25% on Monday when it attracted only five entrants.

Journalism and Citizen Bull, two of the top three choices in Nevada futures betting for the Kentucky Derby, will race against each other for the first time in Saturday’s two-turn, 1 1/8-mile feature at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Drawing the rail post, Journalism was made the 6-5 morning-line favorite. Citizen Bull in post 2 will be 9-5 in the program.

Citizen Bull, trainer Bob Baffert’s Eclipse Award winner, already has clinched his invitation to Churchill Downs. History says Journalism from Michael McCarthy’s barn already has the points to get there.

Barnes, though, is another matter. Baffert’s $3.2 million colt would clinch a Kentucky Derby bid with a win Saturday. A second-place finish if the field stands pat probably would do the trick, too. But if there is even one scratch, then the points will be reduced again, and a runner-up finish might not get Barnes to Kentucky.

The two Baffert colts, both by Into Mischief, are likely to be forward early in the Santa Anita Derby. Citizen Bull led from gate to wire in each of his last three races including Grade 1 victories last year in the American Pharoah and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Southern California’s leading jockey Juan Hernández will ride.

In his San Vicente (G2) win and his San Felipe second, Barnes either was on the early lead or no more than a head behind at any call. Martín García retains the ride on Barnes, who is 3-1 on the morning line.

Since his third-place debut in October, Journalism has stalked and scored three times in a row, breaking his maiden during the fall meet at Del Mar and then winning the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and the San Vicente. Umberto Rispoli has the ride on the Curlin colt.

Baeza, who is 6-1 comes in for trainer John Shirreffs off a stalking, maiden-breaking win going a mile Feb. 14 at Santa Anita. He had a troubled trip in his December debut on the Del Mar turf and then finished a distant second switching to a dirt mile at Santa Anita in January. Héctor Berrios will be aboard the McKinzie colt and break from the outside post.

Westwood, also from the Shirreffs stable, is an off-the-pace maiden who finished seventh making his first start on the turf during the Del Mar summer. After a six-month break, he came back to finish third and second in maiden races this winter at Santa Anita. Tiago Pereira rides the Authentic colt from post 3 carrying program odds of 20-1.

The points reduction was brought on by a Churchill Downs Inc. rule that took effect this season.

“In the event a championship-series (major prep) race is run with a five-horse field, only 75% of the points will be proportionally awarded,” the rule says. “In the event a championship-series race is run with a four-horse field or less, only 50% of the points will be proportionally awarded.”

The Santa Anita Derby is the 10th of 12 races Saturday. The first post is at 3 p.m. EDT.