November 27, 2005
The Grade 1 Cigar Mile, formerly called the NYRA Mile, was the race which started Cigar's 16-race winning streak. In this year's edition, Badge of Silver was sent off as the 2.35-1 favorite in a field of eleven older horses, traveling the one-turn mile at Aqueduct for a purse of $350,000.
Value Plus, a 55-1 outsider, opened a clear lead exiting the backstretch chute and was 1 1/2 lengths clear of Badge of Silver through an opening half mile run in a brisk 45.08 seconds. Turning for home, Value Plus held a slim lead through 6 furlongs in 1:09.11, but tired on the rail in the stretch to finish fifth. 9.90-1 shot Mass Media inherited the lead at the 1/8 pole after stalking the pace in third. With such a quick early pace, the race set up for a closer. 25.50-1 longshot Purge sat well off the pace in ninth through the first half mile, at which time jockey Garrett Gomez took him out wide asking for run. With a 1/16 to go, Purge took over the lead and drew away under a vigorous handling, for a commanding 3 3/4 length win over Mass Media in a time of 1:34.26. It was 3/4 length back to 7.20-1 shot Gygistar in third. Favored Badge of Silver had nothing left after chasing the fast pace, fading to a well-beaten eighth at the line. Purge ends his career a winner, finishing off with total earnings of $905,434, and moves on to a career at stud at Vinery.
Results Chart from DRF
Jockey Garrett Gomez, after winning his first Cigar Mile, said, "I tried to thread my way through. He started picking them up handily. I turned for home, gave him some daylight and he started picking them up. He went into overdrive. He acted like he had been doing that all his life, sitting there like an old come-from-behind sprinter. Going into the turn, I was a little worried because Todd (Pletcher) told me that he spits twelves (12-second furlongs), and I had never ridden him. I wasn't sure if we had too much to do."
Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "I realize more why he did what he did today and why we didn't do better with him the rest of the year. We were waffling back between the Clark Handicap (at Churchill Downs) and this. (Jack Wolf, owner of Starlight Stable) was very optimistic about this race, and the horse made him look smart."
Bobby Frankel, trainer of Mass Media said, "Mass Media ran a nice race. He always runs well. It's too bad that Purge had to run so big today." His jockey Alex Solis said, "He ran pretty good. I thought I had them at the quarter-pole. The winner just ran a better race." Mass Media retires with a career record of 6 wins in 17 starts and earnings of $466,420, and will stand at Hill 'n' Dale in 2006.
Frankel said of the beaten favorite, "I don't know what happened to Badge of Silver. Jerry (Bailey) had to try to keep him up there. He just didn't have it today. Maybe I breezed him too fast." His jockey Jerry Bailey added, "At no time did my horse have any run."
On to the Remsen Stakes
On to the Demoiselle Stakes
On to the Top Flight Handicap
