Tom Pedulla gives 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 supplied 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 response to the identical scale.
RECORD SEASON: Excellent 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 at the back of my thoughts for positive,” 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 undoubtedly attempting to attain. 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 as a consequence of a strained ligament behind certainly one of his knees, staged a powerful rally to register a 1 ½-length resolution 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 surprise what may need been. “It was unlucky timing as a result of I believe that the way in which a few of the Triple Crown races arrange this 12 months would have suited him rather 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 identical distance at Keeneland. One other victory. May 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 reduction. “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 completed that with Monomoy Woman (2018) and Shedaresthedevil (2020). It seems as if he might have an amazing 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 vital stakes scores. “We’ve been put in an excellent 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 the case of 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 obtained a little bit bit of labor to do with him,” he mentioned. “He ran good and confirmed he belongs round two turns.”
