The Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap Introduced by Twinspires.com contains a almost full discipline of 11, most established stakes runners, in what must be an extremely thrilling race Saturday at Aqueduct.
Main the sphere in accomplishments, and purse earnings, is Senor Buscador ($12.9 million), who captured the Group 1 Saudi Cup in February and who most lately was fifth of 14 within the Grade 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic. One other horse exiting among the best races of the yr is Publish Time ($1.1 million), who completed quick when rallying from final of 13 to get second within the Huge Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Dust Mile final month. Mullikin ($853,612) rallied for third within the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Dash final month and gained the Grade 1 Forego Stakes previous to that. Ebook’em Danno ($1 million) is one other horse who matches at this stage, having gained the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes Introduced by Mohegan Solar in June. Regulation Professor ($1 million) hasn’t gained a graded stakes since 2021 when capturing the Grade 2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes however gained his most up-to-date begin and has amassed 5 profession wins in seven races at Aqueduct. Locked ($660,650), who gained the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity within the fall of 2023, returned off an 11-month layoff to win final month and may very well be prepared for these foes. Coastal Mission ($1 million) gained the Grade 3 Forty Niner Stakes on this observe in October and goes for his third straight win. Repo Rocks ($978,046) gained the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes in Might of 2023 however has gained simply one in all eight since. His most up-to-date effort was a nonthreatening fourth within the Forty Niner Stakes. Pipeline ($503,913), who was unplaced within the 2023 Cigar Mile, enters the race off greater than 2 ½ months away and gained his most up-to-date race. Nelson Avenue ($251,405) completed second behind Coastal Mission within the Forty Niner in his most up-to-date race. Vinsanity ounds out the sphere, having gained two of 20 races for $74,718 in earnings.
Important win contenders:
In doing analysis previous to handicapping this race, I famous final yr’s Cigar Mile Handicap winner, Hoist the Gold, had exited the Breeders’ Cup Dash. Scanning the Race Lens previous performances, I famous the one horse on this yr’s Cigar Mile discipline to have run in that race was Mullikin, who had gained 4 races in a row previous to the Dash, together with a career-best effort within the John A. Nerud Stakes, right here at Aqueduct in July, incomes a 110 Equibase Velocity Determine. He earned that win, in addition to his earlier win one month earlier, whereas stalking the tempo in second for the opening half-mile below Flavien Prat. Prat rides Mullikin within the Cigar and, previous to the Breeders’ Cup Dash, had an ideal 3-for-3 report using this colt. Within the Dash, Mullikin discovered himself within the uncommon place of seventh (amongst 11) after a quarter-mile, which per the chart callers excellent feedback brought about the colt to “climb,” which is when a horse seems to be climbing stairs and its stride shouldn’t be almost as environment friendly as when operating parallel to the bottom. After dropping again to eighth following a half-mile, Mullikin settled down and began to rally, passing horses very willingly and ending up third on the end line. Now again at Aqueduct the place he gained his solely race on this observe, and really more likely to be second behind “need-the-lead” kind Pipeline after a half mile, a repeat of his effort within the Nerud or within the Forego seems probably, which makes Mullikin the one to beat on this yr’s Cigar.
Senor Buscador completed second within the 2023 Cigar Mile following a seventh-place end within the Breeders’ Cup Basic. This yr Senor Buscador enters the race off a fifth-place end within the Basic and is on a sample for an additional high effort on this race. Final yr’s Cigar Mile pacesetter Hoist the Gold ran the opening half-mile in a full of life :44.88 and 6 furlongs in 1:09.04, and that’s what is anticipated right here as a result of Pipeline was the horse that pressed that scorching tempo a head from the lead via the opening quarter-mile and only a half-length behind after a half-mile. With that type of scorching tempo in entrance as soon as once more, Senor Buscador figures to be approaching very strongly, much like when lacking by a neck within the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Introduced by Baccarat in January when he earned a then-career-best 113 Equibase Velocity Determine. One month later, Senor Buscador bettered that with a 114 determine when successful the Saudi Cup with a visually spectacular rally. Joel Rosario received accustomed to Senor Buscador when using for the primary time within the Breeders’ Cup Basic and the reduce from 1 ¼ miles to 1 mile ought to sharpen the horse’s late kick, so he may run as properly or higher than one yr in the past on this race.
Publish Time can rally from midpack or from almost final, much like Senor Buscador, and he has been exceptionally constant this yr successful 4 of eight races and ending second or third within the different 4. The newest of these robust efforts was when rallying from final of 13 to get second within the Breeders’ Cup Dust Mile, incomes a 109 velocity determine, which is the most effective among the many group of three exiting Breeders’ Cup races. Like the opposite two win contenders, Publish Time has run properly at Aqueduct beforehand. He gained the Carter Stakes Introduced by NYRA Bets in April, one race earlier than ending quick for second within the Westchester Stakes with a 115 determine, which, if repeated, is sweet sufficient to win this race.
The remainder of the sphere (with finest Equibase Velocity Determine): Ebook ‘em Danno (108), Coastal Mission (114), Regulation Professor (109), Locked (100), Nelson Avenue (109), Pipeline (105), Repo Rocks (117), and Vinsanity (94).
Win Contenders, in choice order:
Mullikin
Senor Buscador
Publish Time
