Aqueduct's Fall Meet Main Event: the $300,000 Gr. 1 Cigar Mile

by Patricia Woo | Nov 26 2008

The excitement of Aqueduct's fall meet culminates in its headline event, the $300,000 Gr. 1 Cigar Mile. Named for two-time Horse of the Year champion Cigar, this one-mile dirt test will be run on Saturday, Nov. 29, and will feature 3-year-olds and up including Arson Squad, Tale of Ekati and Harlem Rocker.

Rallying to win the $350,000 Meadowlands Cup in his last race, Arson Squad is one of the frontrunners for the Cigar Mile. Before his first start for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr., the 5-year-old gelding was on a seven-race losing streak – on synthetic racetracks. But with Arson Squad's triumphant return to dirt in his Meadowlands Cup win, Dutrow is now looking for continued success for his new charge… in a race that does not include Massachusetts Handicap and Whitney Handicap champion Commentator. Though expected to run in the Clark Handicap a day earlier, Commentator has also been nominated for the Cigar Mile, and his potential presence has weighed heavily on Dutrow's mind. "We're leaning toward staying here if Commentator goes [to the Clark] and they don't have any last-minute good horses coming here… We want to have our best chance to win," Dutrow said. Jockey Edgar Prado, aboard for Arson Squad's latest win, will again get the mount.

Tale of Ekati will also be coming into the Cigar Mile off a victory, in the one-mile $150,000 Gr. 2 Jerome Handicap at Belmont Park in October. The 3-year-old colt has fared well at Aqueduct, scoring his first Gr. 1 victory in the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes in April. But he has had a rollercoaster year overall for trainer Barclay Tagg, with other performances that include a fourth place finish in the Kentucky Derby and a disappointing seventh in the Travers Stakes.

Though he was third to Tale of Ekati in the Jerome Handicap in his first outing on a sloppy track, Harlem Rocker has history on his side: He is trained by Todd Pletcher, who is tied with Bob Baffert for the most Cigar Mile wins – three. Best suited to dirt tracks, 3-year-old Harlem Rocker will be carrying 115lbs.

Also expected are Kodiak Kowboy, Storm Play, Bribon and Visionaire.

Last year's Cigar Mile finished in an upset win by Daaher over Midnight Lute, who is this year's Breeders' Cup Sprint champion. In 2006, Discreet Cat set a track record with his winning time of 1:32.46. How will this year's Cigar Mile play out?

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