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America’s Best Racing’s Mike Curry offers five key takeaways from a busy weekend on the path to Louisville for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve with three races Feb. 1 that awarded the top five finishers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis.

The champ is back.

Citizen Bull, the Eclipse Award-winning juvenile male of last year returned just as racegoers remembered seeing him through the fall of 2024 when he won the Grade 3 $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in his 3-year-old debut on Feb. 1 at Santa Anita.

A less-than-ideal break from the gate forced jockey Edgard Zayas to change his plan of attack with Whitham Thoroughbreds' homebred Burnham Square, but the gelding persevered and rallied to capture the $265,000 Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes F

Captain Cook looked the part of a Triple Crown contender as he posted a 2 1/4-length victory in the $250,000 Withers Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds Feb. 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack. He overcame a wide trip and repelled a stretch bid from 33-1 longshot Surfside Moon to capture the Withers in his stakes debut.

After completing his juvenile season with victories in the 2024 American Pharoah Stakes Presented by DK Horse and FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by TAA to nail down champion 2-year-old male honors, Citizen Bull is expected to make his 3-yea

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