Saturday’s $500,000 Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct gives gifted and impressive stakes horses one final probability to compete within the marquee grime mile race earlier than the calendar turns to 2026. The Cigar Mile, which lasts about one flip, has lengthy been an vital race within the grime mile division because it was first held in 1988 when a 49er received what was then known as the NYRA Mile Handicap. Notable subsequent winners embrace Rubiano (1991), Cigar (1994, race title modified), Congaree (2002, 2003), Tonalyst (2015), Most Safety (2019), Thoughts Management (2022), and final 12 months’s winner Locked (2024).
This 12 months’s renewal encompasses a drawing of seven horses. Suidobashi’s Saturday card might be broadcast dwell on America’s Day on the Races. FS1 and FS2. Cigar Mile posting time is about for 3:37pm ET and might be aired on tv. FS2.
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The 11-race program contains New York’s key youth divisions, the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes for 2-year-old colts and the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, in addition to the Grade 3 Elite Energy Stakes and two $500,000 New York Stallion Sequence races.
Learn under for data and handicap insights on Cigar Mile candidates.
1. Dr. Sullivan (morning line odds 5-1)
jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
coach: John Ortiz
proprietor: Tristar Farm
Work historical past: 19 begins – 6 wins – 6 seconds – 2/3
profession earnings: $657,840
High worth of equal base velocity:109
Pedigree: Solomini – Queen Frostline, Large’s Causeway
12 months:4
colour: darkish bay or brown
operating type: Stalker
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing info: New York-bred horses beat state-bred horses in a seven-furlong race within the $121,250 New York Stallion Sequence. Doc Sullivan has received prize cash in 14 of his 19 profession begins, and has by no means been shy in his earlier forays into main stakes, together with this 12 months’s G1 Forego Stakes and G3 Vosburgh Stakes Offered by Military Mule, the place he completed fourth, shedding each by lower than three lengths. He has raced on varied outings, and two races in the past he ran the $250,000 Empire Traditional Stakes over a distance of 1 1/8 miles, shedding to second place by a large margin, however appears to be good at center distances similar to seven furlongs and one mile. Nonetheless, with common jockey Joel Rosario leaping ship to experience Phileas Fogg within the Cigar Mile, that may by no means be thought of a constructive issue. A more in-depth take a look at Doc Sullivan’s previous outcomes reveals that the horse has run most of his profession bests on moist tracks, together with two wins this 12 months, and most of his prime velocity numbers have come on moist surfaces. For coach John Ortiz, he has been in nice type all season, however realistically his solely probability of transferring above the minors will come rain or shine. The forecast for Suidobashi on Saturday is sunny.
Guess on Dr. Sullivan with Cigar Miles
2. Mika (12-1)
jockey: Manny Franco
coach: Mike Maker
proprietor: Good Man Steady
Work historical past: 7 begins – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 third place
profession earnings: $114,684
High worth of equal base velocity:108
Pedigree: Catholic Boy – Historical past Supreme, written by Speightstown.
12 months:3
colour: darkish bay or brown
operating type: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing info: The one 3-year-old in a subject of seven horses, he enters this race in the very best type of his profession, having received back-to-back Mid-Atlantic large wins at Delaware Park and Laurel Park by 23 and a half lengths. Three-year-olds have a powerful historical past within the Cigar Mile, with eight three-year-olds successful the final 20 races, together with final 12 months’s Locked. Micah’s current large wins got here whereas in coach Brittany Russell’s steady, and he’s now again with coach Mike Maker, the place he began his profession final 12 months. Velocity is the secret for him and he’s very more likely to be on the entrance on this place, so it is as much as him to go all the way in which. However that might be a tough activity with Phileas Fogg and Bishop’s Bay each hotly chased for the title. Micah has been very spectacular together with his two-race win in two turns, and his velocity numbers final time pushed him into stakes competitors territory, however he seems to be to go even deeper within the Cigar Mile as he faces high quality stakes horses and confirmed one-turn specialists.
Guess Mika on Cigar Miles
3. Pentathlon (10-1)
jockey: Junior Alvarado
coach: Shag McGaughey
proprietor: Phipps Stables, St. Elias Stables, Woodford Horse Racing
Work historical past: 14 begins – 3 wins – 1 second – 3 seconds
profession earnings: $241,352
High worth of equal base velocity:102
Pedigree: Speightstown – Parade, by Tapit.
12 months:4
colour: chestnut
operating type:Stalker
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing info: Final time he ran at this observe and distance, he received the Allowance Choice declare race by 3 1/4 lengths and received his finest Equibase Velocity Determine, so I can not blame his connections for taking a shot at Stakes right here, however to be trustworthy, that is removed from the very best Cigar Mile observe ever assembled. Coach Shag McGaughey received this race for the Phipps household with Gold Fever in 1996, and jockey Junior Alvarado can even intention to win the Cigar Mile for the second time this 12 months, having received the race in 2013 with Flat Out. Final time within the pentathlon, McGaughey eliminated the blinker, which led to a giant turnaround for the horse. Though this might be his stakes debut within the pentathlon, his finest race has been over the mile, and his prime velocity figures usually are not removed from what the race’s favorites sometimes run. If you happen to go on a stalking journey up shut, you would possibly win a prize.
Guess on the Cigar Mile Pentathlon
4. Loopy Mason (7-2)
jockey:Irad Ortiz Jr.
coach: Gregory Sacco
proprietor: Donna Wright and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
Work historical past: 17 begins – 5 wins – 3 seconds – 4 of three
profession earnings: $524,470
High worth of equal base velocity:111
Pedigree: Coal Entrance – Izshelegal, written by Maria’s Mon
12 months:4
colour:Grey or mortgage
operating type: close by
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing info: He received this 12 months’s G2 Carter Stakes sponsored by NYRA Betts over a distance of seven furlongs, and has a strong efficiency heading into 2025, however he has not too long ago acquired runner-up within the G3 Vosburgh Stakes sponsored by Military Mule, and regardless of his robust observe file, he has acquired little consideration. Maybe the rationale his type would not garner a lot respect is as a result of he lacks robust Beyer velocity numbers. However not like Beyer’s numbers, his Equibase Velocity Determine victory within the Carter Stakes (107) and third place behind Buemdanno and Mullikin in June’s G3 True North Stakes (111) places him in step with the race’s different favorites. Loopy Mason has a superb probability, however as a deep nearer he’ll probably have to decelerate to win. Realistically, that situation is believable as each Phileas Fogg and Bishop’s Bay might want to do the soiled work of keeping track of the speedy Micah up entrance. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who simply received the autumn driving title at Churchill Downs, has been a prime rider all around the nation this 12 months and can probably be aiming for one more Eclipse Award. Ortiz takes the mount and appears so as to add the primary Cigar Mile win of his profession to his trophy cupboard.
Guess on Loopy Mason with Cigar Miles
5. Proud (30-1)
jockey: John Velazquez
coach:Chris Inglehart
proprietor: Pantoffel Stables, Wachtel Stables, Gary Barber, Richard Steyer
Work historical past: 39 begins – 4 wins – 9 seconds – 3/9
profession earnings: $294,582
High worth of equal base velocity:107
Pedigree: Grazen – Candy Boss, Road Boss
12 months:7
colour: bay
operating type: Stalker/Nearer
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing info: Overtly joins the steady of Chris Englehart, the horse’s third coach this 12 months. Overtly has had strong however unspectacular performances in his most up-to-date races, ending third at Del Mar and the Huge A Meet Belmont, and this race might be a giant step up for the veteran, who’s in his thirty ninth profession race and has but to run a significant stakes race. Maybe Overtly’s solely promoting level is that he has entry to the companies of jockey John Velasquez. Velazquez is at present tied for essentially the most wins within the historical past of the race with 5 wins, together with a three-year Cigar Mile successful streak, due to Thoughts Management (2022), Hoist the Gold (2023) and Locked (2024).
Guess boldly on cigar miles
6. Phileas Fogg (9-5)
jockey: Joel Rosario
coach: Gustavo Rodriguez
proprietor: Jupiter steady
Work historical past: 20 begins – 9 wins – 5 seconds – 0 third place
profession earnings: $796,773
High worth of equal base velocity:110
Pedigree: Astern – Merino, Extra Than Prepared
colour: bay
operating type: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing info: On this 12 months’s G2 Subbourbon S Offered by Subbourbon, he received at a distance of 1 mile and 4 minutes, beating out 2025 Jockey Membership Gold Cup winner Antiquarian and 2024 Cigar Mile winner Locked, and entered this race with 9 consecutive in-the-money finishes, excluding his disqualification at JCGC. Remarkably, when he completed second within the Grade 2 Woodward Stakes at Aqueduct final time, three-quarters of a size behind Locked, he recovered properly from that DQ and led the whole 1 1/8-mile race till he was overtaken late within the race. Based on Beyer’s velocity numbers, Phileas Fogg’s Suburban (104) and JCGC (105) are the best velocity numbers earned by horses on this 12 months’s Cigar Mile, and primarily based on that, he has a giant presence on this pack. The large drawback for Phileas Fogg could be the gap of this one mile. In spite of everything, he has run properly within the mile early in his profession, however this 12 months was strictly a two-turn horse operating lengthy. This reality is clearly not misplaced on his connections, who’ve added Brinker and Joel Rosario to his arsenal to arrange for this race. Will it’s sufficient to maintain up with Micah and Bishop’s Bay on the entrance finish? And if he will get the lead in such a state of affairs, will there be something left to thwart a late problem from Loopy Mason? If any speedster on this race can do it, it is him.
Guess on Phileas Fogg with Cigar Miles
7. Bishop’s Bay (2-1)
jockey:Flavien Prat
coach: Brad Cox
proprietor: KAS Stables
Work historical past: 12 begins – 8 wins – 3 seconds – 0 third place
profession earnings: $702,800
High worth of equal base velocity:111
Pedigree: Uncle Mo – “Catch My Drift” by Nile Pioneers
colour: Bay
operating type: Pacesetter/Push the tempo
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing info: Bishop’s Bay has received 5 of the previous six races, and all three of his final wins have come at this one-mile distance, together with two wins within the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes at Aqueduct in Might and his final begin within the Grade 3 49er Stakes (November 2). Nonetheless, it’s unclear whether or not any of the horses Bishop’s Bay beat in these races have been nearly as good as Phileas Fogg, or whether or not they had expertise competing in opposition to prime firms, so the next factors are value noting: When Bishop’s Bay confronted Loopy Mason within the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga, he completed sixth, two and a half lengths behind his rival. This 12 months’s prime velocity numbers (103 Beyer and 111 Equibase) got here 4 races in the past at Westchester, and whereas they’re spectacular, he has not replicated them in current begins, and there was a noticeable drop in his numbers over the past two races, indicating that different horses within the subject operating at higher odds could also be higher than his present type. Bishop’s Bay has prime connections in his nook, as coach Brad Cox wins wherever he goes and jockey Flavien Prat is the main jockey on the present Suidbridge occasion. He is closing in on being one of many prime three contenders for this 12 months’s Cigar Mile, however the one concern is that his true possibilities of successful might not match the low odds anticipated on the tote board.
Guess on Bishops Bay at Cigar Mile
