Cigar 3-5 Choice Despite Post Position

What Jerry Bailey was trying to say is: Any post position is a good post position for Cigar.

Cigar was one of 84 horses entered for $10 million worth of Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday at Belmont Park. Despite drawing the No. 10 post position in a field of 11 in the $3 million B.C. Classic, Cigar was made an early 3-5 favorite.

“It wasn’t the post position I’d hoped for, but I’m not disappointed,” said Bailey, who will ride Cigar as the 5-year-old horse tries for a 12th consecutive stakes victory. “Let’s put it this way, post position won’t beat him.

“As long as he’s in the gate, it’s a good post position.”

Trained by Bill Mott, Cigar will attempt to cap off the first undefeated season in major competition since Spectacular Bid went 8-for-8 in 1980. So far this year, Cigar is 9-for-9.

“Approaching a race like the Classic, you know Cigar is leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else,” said Nick Zito, who will saddle 20-1 outsider Star Standard in the Classic.

“I put him in the same category as Kelso, Forego, John Henry, and so on. I talk about the race the same way I’d talk about it if Kelso were in there. But even great horses like Kelso get beat.”

Also entered in the 1-1/4-mile Classic were defending champion Concern, French Deputy, Halling, Jed Forest, L’Carriere, Peaks and Valleys, Soul of the Matter, Tinners Way and Unaccounted For.

Thunder Gulch, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner who had been vying with Cigar for Horse of the Year honors, was retired with a minor injury.