Citizen Bull captured the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes presented by DK Horse in front-running fashion to lead a 1-2 finish for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 1 race for 2-year-olds Oct. 5 at Santa Anita Park.

Baffert's last-out Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes winner, Getaway Car, finished second.

When the gates opened in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah, jockey Martin Garcia was ready aboard Citizen Bull. Citizen Bull took the lead in a first quarter-mile in :23.85 with Getaway Car never far behind. Getaway Car kept the pressure on until the three-eighths pole, when Citizen Bull started to pull away. Citizen Bull had two lengths on his stablemate in mid-stretch and flashed under the wire by that same margin, stopping the timer in 1:44.30 for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track. Getaway Car finished 5 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher McKinzie Street.

Citizen Bull was exiting a third-place finish in his Grade 1 debut in the Del Mar Futurity Sept. 8 with Mike Smith riding but came out on top this time with Garcia aboard. Garcia had ridden Citizen Bull in his 5 1/2-furlong debut win at Del Mar on Aug. 17 when Garcia and Citizen Bull won by three-quarters of a length.

"At Del Mar, he really needed that race," Baffert said of Citizen Bull. "Mike (Smith) said he got tired. I think he will get so much out of this race."

The American Pharoah is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win & You're In" race, and the victory gives Citizen Bull a berth into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA. It also awards qualifying points to the 2025 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve to the top five finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Series. Thus, Citizen Bull earned 10 points, Getaway Car five points, and McKinzie Street three points. Fourth place Emerald Bay (also trained by Baffert) earned two points and Show of Force got one point for finishing fifth.

Non Compliant Leads Baffert 1-2-3 Finish in Oak Leaf

Non Compliant ran her record to a perfect 2-for-2 to start her career by capturing the Grade 2 $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes presented by Oak Tree on Oct. 5 at Santa Anita.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had four of the six Oak Leaf entrants, and two of them — Tenma and Nooni — were already graded stakes winners. Leading jockey Juan Hernandez was aboard Non Compliant, who was sent off as the even-money favorite while making her stakes debut.

Nooni likes setting the pace, which she did again in the 1 1/16-mile Oak Leaf. Tenma and Non Compliant tracked her through much of the race, with Nooni responsible for easy fractions of :23.42, :47.22, and 1:11.65.

The Baffert trio tightened things up on the second turn, and heading into the stretch it became a battle between Nooni on the rail and Non Compliant to her outside. They fought for several strides until Non Complaint began inching away, ultimately coming to the wire 2 1/4 lengths in front ahead of Nooni while stopping the timer in 1:45.08. Tenma finished third, 8 1/4 lengths behind Nooni.

The Oak Leaf began with that name in 1969 as part of the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting at Santa Anita. In 2012, Santa Anita, which now runs the fall meeting, changed the name to the Chandelier Stakes. This year it reverted to its previous name, also listed as "presented by Oak Tree," the organization being celebrated at the track throughout the day.

Under either name, the race provides a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" berth to the $2 million Netjets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. It also awards qualifying points to the 2025 Longines Kentucky Oaks on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top five finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series. Fourth place In the Air Tonight and fifth-place Showers, the latter also trained by Baffert, earned Oaks points along with Non Compliant, Nooni, and Tenma.

Bob Baffert won the Oak Leaf (formerly Chandelier) Stakes for a record 13th time, and along with his win in the American Pharoah Stakes swept both the day's two 2-year-old stakes races for the sixth time in his career. -- Tracy Gantz

Hang the Moon Goes Last-to-First to Win Rodeo Drive

In a bizarrely run edition of the $201,000 Grade 2 Rodeo Drive Stakes, Hang the Moon proved best with a scintillating last-to-first victory Oct. 5 at Santa Anita Park.

Hang the Moon has now thrown her hat in the ring for the most prestigious showdown of them all in the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The 4-year-old filly earned her slot in the starting gate for the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Nov. 2 at Del Mar with her win in the Rodeo Drive win, which is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" race.

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A 20-1 upset winner of the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes last time out for trainer Phil D'Amato, Hang the Moon was still relatively dismissed on the tote board at 9-1 for the Rodeo Drive. Ridden back by Kazushi Kimura, Hang the Moon trailed the field as the race played out in peculiar fashion up front.

"We had the right strategy for Hang the Moon," said D'Amato. "We planned to do the same thing as we did last time, sit back and come with the run. She came with a monstrous run late."

Impressive Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks presented by Keeneland Sales winner Iscreamuscream blew the first turn of the 1 1/4-mile event, and eventually lost her lead to Lucky Girl. The latter, usually deep closer, stole the advantage at that point and opened up three length lead at the six-furlong marker. Into the lane, however, the field swallowed up Lucky Girl as Hang the Moon on the far outside stormed to the wire along with Aspen Grove on the rail.

Hang the Moon crossed the finish line on top of a battling Aspen Grove by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:58.58 over a firm turf course. It was another three-quarters of a length back to South African import Beach Bomb in third. Favored Iscreamuscream, previously undefeated, finished fourth in her debut against older fillies and mares.

Hang the Moon ($21.80 to win) picked up her second consecutive graded stakes win and bumped her bankroll to $427,913.  -- Molly Rollins