Cigar Enters Breeders’ Cup A Mere Mortal Victory Saturday Could Result In $5 Million Match Race In Japan Against European Champ
The Cigar you saw July 13 in the Arlington Citation Challenge may not be the Cigar you get Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Woodbine.
Then, he seemed invincible.
Now, the window of vulnerability is open. In Cigar’s three starts after he came to Arlington and equaled Citation’s modern American record of 16 consecutive wins, he has finished second twice.
The 1-1/4-mile races in which Cigar finished second were in California and New York and their storylines are as different as life in San Diego vs. Manhattan.
In Del Mar’s Aug. 4 Pacific Classic, Cigar was done in by Siphon, who set a scorching early pace. Siphon eventually gave up the lead to his entrymate, Dare and Go, who beat Cigar by 3-1/2 lengths.
In Belmont’s Oct. 5 Jockey Club Gold Cup the scenario was the opposite.
This time Louis Quatorze took the lead and proceeded to dawdle. The opening half-mile mile was run in 47 3-5 seconds with Cigar in third place, 4-1/2 lengths off the lead. When Skip Away came from second to succeed Louis Quatorze up front, jockey Jerry Bailey urged Cigar to make his move. Struggling, Cigar made up several lengths but at the finish line he was a head shy of Skip Away.
It wasn’t that way at Arlington and it wasn’t that way in Belmont’s Sept. 14 Woodward Handicap, where Cigar rebounded from his Pacific Classic loss with a 4-length victory. In both of those 1-1/8-mile races Cigar left no doubt that he was the best horse.
Owner-breeder Allen Paulson and trainer Bill Mott believe that he’s still the best horse, not only in the Classic but in the world.
Contingent on a victory in Saturday’s $4 million Classic, Paulson has received a tentative overture to run Cigar in a match-race with Arc de Triomphe winner Helissio in Japan in late November. Prize money in excess of $5 million has been suggested and Paulson is interested enough to seriously consider postponing Cigar’s retirement.
“First we’ll do this race,” Paulson said. “I have all the confidence in the world that he will win. Then, if he comes out of it OK and we get the right terms and conditions we’ll see what happens.
“Personally, I don’t think he lost either of those two races. It was just the circumstances - in the first race the fast pace and in his last race the slow pace.”
Mott seems willing to pit his superstar against Helissio, considered by some to be the best French horse since 1965 Arc winner Sea-Bird II.
“I think it’s worth considering after the Breeders’ Cup,” said the trainer. “One-on-one is fine with me - provided the foot is good. Right now the foot is fine.”
Cigar had some acrylic patchwork done on his right front hoof after the Jockey Club Gold Cup. It’s the same hoof that had the quarter-crack that forced Mott to take Cigar out of training for a few weeks early this year, and then play catchup in preparing him for his March 27 victory in the $4 million Dubai World Cup. xxxx LOCAL ACTION The seven championship races of the Breeders’ Cup, horse racing’s premier event, will be carried Saturday at Greyhound Park in Post Falls. First race from Woodbine, Ontario, is the Juvenile Fillies at 10:50 a.m. The final, the Classic, is scheduled about 2:30 p.m. Local horse players will wager directly into the betting pools at Woodbine in Toronto. Parking and admission at Greyhound Park is free. Greyhound Park is not accepting reservations for tables. Gates open at 6:30 a.m. The first race at Calder (Florida) is 7:30 a.m. Past performances of Breeders’ Cup entries are available at Greyhound Park and two valley locations, the Quick Stop at 8119 Sprague and the 7-11 on North Pines just off I-90.