2007 Cigar Mile and Discovery Handicap

Kicking off the Saturday stakes action at Aqueduct was the $100,000 Discovery Handicap (G3), featuring a field of seven 3-year-olds go 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Pegasus Stakes runner-up Now A Victor was sent off as the 2-1 favorite over 3-1 Helsinki, fourth in the Pegasus after finishing third in the Brooklyn and Travers. 7-2 Buffalo Man, winner of the Ocala Breeders Sales Championship, rounded out the top three on the board.

Shopton Lane took the lead on the clubhouse turn and set fractions of 25.08, 49.11, and 1:12.88 while one length ahead of favorite Now A Victor who stalked him in second the whole way. Entering the stretch, jockey John Velazquez asked Now A Victor for run and got it as he easily passed the pacesetter, drawing away late to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:50.15. It was just a neck back to late-running Dr. V's Magic in third.
Results chart