The Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap Introduced by Twinspires.com incorporates 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 not too long ago was fifth of 14 within the Grade 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional. One other horse exiting top-of-the-line races of the 12 months is Submit Time ($1.1 million), who completed quick when rallying from final of 13 to get second within the Huge Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile final month. Mullikin ($853,612) rallied for third within the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Dash final month and received the Grade 1 Forego Stakes previous to that. E book’em Danno ($1 million) is one other horse who matches at this degree, having received the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes Introduced by Mohegan Solar in June. Regulation Professor ($1 million) hasn’t received a graded stakes since 2021 when capturing the Grade 2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes however received his most up-to-date begin and has amassed 5 profession wins in seven races at Aqueduct. Locked ($660,650), who received 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) received the Grade 3 Forty Niner Stakes on this observe in October and goes for his third straight win. Repo Rocks ($978,046) received the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes in Might of 2023 however has received simply one among 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 received 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 received two of 20 races for $74,718 in earnings.
Primary win contenders:
In doing analysis previous to handicapping this race, I famous final 12 months’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 12 months’s Cigar Mile discipline to have run in that race was Mullikin, who had received 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 underneath Flavien Prat. Prat rides Mullikin within the Cigar and, previous to the Breeders’ Cup Dash, had an ideal 3-for-3 file driving 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 on the colt to “climb,” which is when a horse seems to be climbing stairs and its stride isn’t 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 received his solely race on this observe, and really prone 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 12 months’s Cigar.
Senor Buscador completed second within the 2023 Cigar Mile following a seventh-place end within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional. This 12 months Senor Buscador enters the race off a fifth-place end within the Traditional and is on a sample for one more high effort on this race. Final 12 months’s Cigar Mile pacesetter Hoist the Gold ran the opening half-mile in a energetic :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 sizzling tempo a head from the lead by means of the opening quarter-mile and only a half-length behind after a half-mile. With that sort of sizzling tempo in entrance as soon as once more, Senor Buscador figures to be approaching very strongly, just 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 obtained conversant in Senor Buscador when driving for the primary time within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional and the reduce from 1 ¼ miles to at least one mile ought to sharpen the horse’s late kick, so he may run as effectively or higher than one 12 months in the past on this race.
Submit Time can rally from midpack or from almost final, just like Senor Buscador, and he has been exceptionally constant this 12 months successful 4 of eight races and ending second or third within the different 4. The newest of these sturdy efforts was when rallying from final of 13 to get second within the Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile, incomes a 109 velocity determine, which is the perfect among the many group of three exiting Breeders’ Cup races. Like the opposite two win contenders, Submit Time has run effectively at Aqueduct beforehand. He received 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 greatest Equibase Velocity Determine): E book ‘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: