Tom Pedulla presents takeaways from Cigar Mile day at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Saturday afternoon card was headlined by the tradition-rich Cigar Mile Handicap introduced by Twinspires.com, a one-turn mile, in addition to the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes for 2-year-old colts and the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The Remsen provided qualifying factors for the 2025 Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserveto the highest 5 finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 foundation. The Demoiselle awarded Longines Kentucky Oaks qualifying factors in line with the identical scale.
RECORD SEASON: Very good jockey Flavien Prat set a single-season document when he piloted Godolphin homebred Poster to a nostril victory within the Remsen for his eightieth stakes victory. Irad Ortiz Jr. had set the mark with 79 two years in the past. Prat additionally equaled Corridor of Famer Jerry Bailey’s mark for graded-stakes triumphs with 55. Bailey had set that in 2003. “It’s off my again and it was one thing that I had behind my thoughts for certain,” Prat mentioned. “You by no means know if that chance goes to return once more, so it was one thing that I used to be positively attempting to realize. I’ve nice folks supporting me all 12 months spherical.”
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: Locked, making solely his second begin of the season for Eclipse Thoroughbred Companions and Walmac Farm resulting from a strained ligament behind one among his knees, staged a powerful rally to register a 1 ½-length determination within the Cigar. The three-year-old had been off for 11 months earlier than he lastly made his season debut with a 7 ½-length drubbing of older horses in an allowance-optional claiming race in October at Aqueduct. Coach Todd Pletcher couldn’t assist however marvel what might need been. “It was unlucky timing as a result of I believe that the way in which a number of the Triple Crown races arrange this 12 months would have suited him very well,” he mentioned. “However that’s the way in which it goes generally.” The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes introduced by Baccarat on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park is into account as the subsequent begin for Locked.
QUESTION ANSWERED: Godolphin homebred Poster broke his maiden at first asking, going one mile on turf at Ellis Park Aug. 19. He remained on grass for an Oct. 11 allowance race on the similar distance at Keeneland. One other victory. Might the Munnings colt out of the Tapit mare Pin Up, deal with grime? He answered that query affirmatively in edging Aviator Gui by a nostril within the 1 1/8-mile Remsen, a lot to coach Eoin Harty’s aid. “Contemplating his pedigree, I do know the household’s ins and outs and I didn’t suppose he’d have an issue with it,” Harty mentioned. “I’m glad to be confirmed proper.” Poster accomplished the mile and an eighth in 1:50.37.
HIGH-POWERED LINEUP: Coach Brad Cox is aware of what it takes to win the Kentucky Oaks, having achieved that with Monomoy Woman (2018) and Shedaresthedevil (2020). It appears to be like as if he could have an incredible shot at a 3rd Oaks. Demoiselle victor Muhimma, in enhancing to 3-for-3, joined stablemates Immersive (NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar) and Good Cheer (Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs) in stamping themselves as Oaks contenders with important stakes scores. “We’ve been put in a great place with fillies which have responded,” Cox mentioned. “Now, our job is to show the web page on this 12 months and attempt to execute subsequent 12 months.”
DÉJÀ VU: Coach Chad Brown is seemingly snakebitten in relation to the Remsen. Three of his horses – Zandon (2021), Sierra Leone (2023) and now Aviator Gui – have been nosed out of victory within the final 4 years. To Brown’s disbelief, Aviator Gui lugged in simply the way in which Sierra Leone had. “I by no means actually noticed that from that horse earlier than, so I’ve bought just a little bit of labor to do with him,” he mentioned. “He ran good and confirmed he belongs round two turns.”
