2019 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct

Spun to Run and Maximum Security to battle in G1 Cigar Mile

Multiple Grade 1-winner Maximum Security and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile victor Spun to Run headline a talented field of 11 for the 31st running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The lucrative Cigar Mile card, which also features the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen for 2-year-olds, the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle for 2-year-old fillies, the Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap for older fillies and mares, as well as the rescheduled $150,000 Winter Memories for sophomore fillies and the $125,000 Autumn Days for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, is the signature event of the Aqueduct fall meet.

Carded as Race 10 with a local post time of 4:16 p.m. Eastern, the Cigar Mile will anchor a mandatory payout in the Empire 6 which boasts a jackpot of $520,913 heading into Thursday's Big A card.

2019 Cigar Mile Handicap Odds & Entries

Race 10 at Aqueduct on Saturday, December 07 - Post 4:16 PM

Entry	Horse	ML Odds	Jockey	Trainer
1	Whitmore	6-1	Joel Rosario 120 Lbs	Ron Moquett
2	Bal Harbour	12-1	John Velazquez 117 Lbs	Todd Pletcher
3	Forewarned	30-1	Anthony Salgado 115 Lbs	Uriah St. Lewis
4	Pat On the Back	12-1	Dylan Davis 118 Lbs	Jeremiah Englehart
5	Maximum Security	8-5	Luis Saez 122 Lbs	Jason Servis
6	Spun to Run	5-2	Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Lbs	Juan Guerrero
7	Nicodemus	20-1	Manuel Franco 117 Lbs	Linda Rice
8	Network Effect	6-1	Javier Castellano 115 Lbs	Chad Brown
9	Looking At Bikinis	12-1	Jose Ortiz 114 Lbs	Chad Brown
10	Tale of Silence	20-1	Junior Alvarado 117 Lbs	Barclay Tagg
11	True Timber	20-1	Joe Bravo 116 Lbs	Kiaran McLaughlin

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Gary and Mary West's multiple Grade 1-winner Maximum Security has crossed the wire first in seven of eight career starts, including Grade 1 scores in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in March and the Haskell Invitational on July 20 at Monmouth Park.

Maximum Security left the gate in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs as the 9-2 second choice with regular pilot Luis Saez up, and led gate-to-wire in the first leg of the Triple Crown, but was demoted to 17th for interference approaching the five-sixteenths marker.

Last out, Maximum Security returned off a three-month layoff following his Haskell score to capture the Grade 3 Bold Ruler, a seven furlong test against older company, at Belmont.

Trained by Jason Servis, the son of New Year's Day breezed three furlongs in 42.20 on Sunday morning on the Belmont training track.

Luis Saez retains the mount from post 5.

Robert P. Donaldson's Spun to Run, trained by Juan Carlos Guerrero, boasts a record of 5-1-3 from 11 career starts. By Hard Spun, and out of the stakes winning dam Yawkey Way, Spun to Run arrives at the Cigar Mile from a 9-1 front-running score in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on November 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Guerrero credited Irad Ortiz, Jr. for providing Spun to Run a perfect trip in the Dirt Mile as he bested a field of 10, led by multiple Grade 1-winner Omaha Beach.

"He broke perfect and Irad sent him pretty good which I asked him to do. At the half-mile, when I saw Blue Chipper leaving him alone by a couple lengths, I thought it was perfect. He didn't have to go head and head. I knew from there he would be tough to beat," said Guerrero. "With his blinkers on, no matter how fast he's going, he's in his own little world. It wasn't that he was going to wait for horses, it was just a matter of when the rider asked him, he was going to take off. In the straightaway, he started lugging out but Irad made him change leads nicely and that was it. I really thought we were winners at the half-mile."

Spun to Run, who captured the Grade 3 Smarty Jones in September at Parx, has posted a pair of bullet works following his Breeders' Cup score including a five furlong effort in 59.88 on Saturday at Parx.

"Both works have been solid. He's coming into the race very nicely," said Guerrero. "I thought he might have went a little fast in Saturday's work, but watching him gallop today, if anything, it made him pick up the bit even more. Today was a key day to see what the work took out of him and if anything it put him right back into the bit. He's pumped up. He's ready to go."

With a perfect record in three starts at the Cigar Mile distance, Guerrero said Spun to Run showed improvement with the addition of blinkers which he sported for the first time when third in the nine-furlong Haskell off a four-month layoff.

The talented dark bay, racing without blinkers under Luis Reyes, finished third in a pair of competitive maiden events at Aqueduct over the winter including a December 15 sprint won by eventual Grade 3 Gotham winner Haikal and a January 4 event won by stakes-placed Tikhvin Flew.

"I like my horses to have a race or two without [blinkers] until I'm happy with it and add blinkers on my terms," said Guerrero. "When he first went to New York, Luis told me he needed blinkers but I like my horses to see the world a little bit.

"I watched him gallop one day when I was on my pony and, as he went by me, he was looking at me. I said, 'Oh boy, this is not good'," added Guerrero. "When I put the blinkers on him the next day, he was a different horse. I'm still happy I didn't put them on too soon, so he wasn't too aggressive too early in his career."

Spun to Run, who will ship to New York on the morning of the race, will be piloted by Aqueduct fall meet leading rider Ortiz, Jr. from post 6.

Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables and Head of Plains Partners' Whitmore will stretch out beyond seven furlongs for the first time since an off-the-board effort in the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Ron Moquett, the 6-year-old Pleasantly Perfect chestnut has since featured exclusively in sprint stakes notching graded scores in the 2017 Grade 3 Maryland Sprint at Pimlico, 2017 Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland, 2018 Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park and the 2018 Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga Race Course.

He's also featured prominently in the past two runnings of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint finishing second in 2018 at Churchill Downs and third on November 2 at Santa Anita when away slowly from the gate.

"On a day that they weren't making up a lot of ground and horses closer to the pace were doing better, I thought he did something a little different," said Moquett of the last-out effort.

Moquett said he is hopeful the stretch out in distance, and significant early pace on hand in the Cigar Mile, will benefit Whitmore.

"Until we do it, you don't know, but we're hoping it will set up for him," said Moquett. "There's a lot of good horses in here that are going to try and impose their will. You could probably run a race like this over three and four times and have different circumstances every time."

With a record of 12-9-3 from 30 starts and purse earnings in excess of $2.8 million, Whitmore, who won his only start at Aqueduct sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs in 2016, has demonstrated a will to win.

"He's a very honest horse and he has a lot of ability. I'm proud of the consistency that he brings, and I'm excited about trying something new with him," said Moquett.

Whitmore has breezed twice following his Breeders' Cup effort, most recently covering a half-mile in 48.40 at Churchill Downs on November 23. Moquett said the gap on the work tab ahead of Saturday's test is by design.

"We did some two-minute clips. I was trying to do things just a little bit different and hopefully it works out," said Moquett. "I think he runs well at seven-eighths and hopefully he likes the added distance."

Joel Rosario picks up the mount from the inside post.

Calumet Farm's True Timber, a 5-year-old son of Mineshaft trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, finished second in last year's Cigar Mile, won by Patternrecognition.

A four-time winner from 21 starts, True Timber is in search of his first stakes score having hit the board in six graded events including a last-out third in the Bold Ruler.

"We have a lot of confidence in him," said McLaughlin, who won the 2007 Cigar Mile with Daaher. "He handles the track well and the distance well. We're just not sure about this group of horses he's up against. It's a tough race. But he's doing well, so we're hopeful."

Joe Bravo retains the mount from post 11.

Harold Lerner, AWC Stables and Nehoc Stables popular New York-bred Pat On the Back made the grade in the Grade 2 Kelso on September 21 at Belmont. The 5-year-old Congrats chestnut, bred by Sugar Maple Farm, boasts a record of three wins and two seconds from five starts this campaign including restricted stakes scores in the Affirmed Success and Commentator.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, Pat On the Back was fifth in last year's Cigar Mile. Dylan Davis has the call from post 4.

Aqueduct fall meet-leading trainer Chad Brown, who captured the Cigar Mile with Connect in 2016 and Patternrecognition a year ago, will saddle Network Effect and Looking At Bikinis.

Klaravich Stables' Network Effect, a Mark Valeski chestnut, completed the exacta in the Grade 3 Nashua and Grade 2 Remsen in 2018. He returned off an 11-month layoff on November 10 to capture a one-mile allowance tilt at Aqueduct, garnering a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Long Lake Stable, Madaket Stables, Thomas Coleman and Doheny Racing Stable's Looking At Bikinis owns a record of 3-0-1 from five starts. Following a third in the Curlin at Saratoga, the Looking At Lucky colt finished off-the-board in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. Last out, he returned to winning form with a 4 ½-length score in a Keeneland allowance tilt on October 4.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will pilot Network Effect from post 8, while Jose Ortiz has the call on Looking At Bikinis from post 9.

Tale of Silence will look to give owner-breeder Charles Fipke and trainer Barclay Tagg their third Cigar Mile score having connected previously with Tale of Ekati (2008) and Jersey Town (2010).

The 5-year-old son of Tale of the Cat made the grade in the 2018 Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont and will be in search of his first win this campaign with a record of two seconds and one third from six starts. He rallied along the rail last out when second to Maximum Security in the Bold Ruler.

Tale of Silence will emerge from post 10 under Junior Alvarado.

Red Oak Stable homebred Bal Harbour's last score came in the one-mile Gio Ponti at the Big A last November. The First Samurai chestnut finished second in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga in August and third last out in the Grade 2 Fayette at Keeneland. He will look to provide trainer Todd Pletcher a fifth win in the Cigar Mile, joining Left Bank (2001), Lion Tamer (2004), Purge (2005) and Stay Thirsty (2012).

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride from post 2.

Everything's Cricket Racing and Lawrence Goichman's Nicodemus returns off a five-month layoff for trainer Linda Rice. The 4-year-old Candy Ride colt earned a career-best 101 Beyer winning the Grade 3 Westchester on May 4 at Belmont which was followed by a pair of fourth-place efforts in the Grade 2 True North and Grade 2 John A. Nerud on Big Sandy.

Manny Franco will pilot Nicodemus from post 7.

Trin-Brook Stables' Forewarned will look to provide trainer Uriah St. Lewis, who won the 2018 Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup with 45-1 shot Discreet Lover, with another upset score in a heralded New York race.

The 4-year-old Flat Out colt, who ran fifth in the Grade 1 Whitney this summer at 89-1 at the Spa, has won seven of 22 career starts. Last out, the Ohio-bred bay captured the Best of Ohio Endurance on October 26 at Mahoning Valley.

Anthony Salgado retains the mount from post 3.

First post on Saturday's 10-race card is 11:30 a.m. Gates will open to the public at 10:30 a.m.

True Timber 'training great' for G1 Cigar Mile

Calumet Farm's True Timber and Shadwell Stable's Ajaaweed breezed in company on Saturday as the talented contingent for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin continued their preparation for the Cigar Mile Day card on December 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

True Timber was the runner-up in last year's Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile and will look to make the next step up in this year's running. The Cigar Mile Handicap highlights a day of four graded stakes, including the Grade 3, $250,000 Go For Wand for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle for sophomore fillies and the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen for 2-year-olds; a race that Ajaaweed is working towards.

On Saturday, True Timber registered five furlongs in 1:01.55 on the Belmont Park training track, marking his third breeze on the surface since running third, 4 1/4 lengths back to winner and potential Cigar Mile rival Maximum Security [who worked three furlongs on the Belmont Park training track Sunday in 42.20] in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Bold Ruler on October 26 at Belmont.

McLaughlin has carefully chosen the spots for the 5-year-old son of Mineshaft's campaign, which started with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup in January at Gulfstream Park and continued with a ninth-place finish in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile in March in Dubai. After a six-month freshening, True Timber returned to run third in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap on September 21 at Belmont at a mile, earning the first of identical 98 Beyer Speed Figures in his last two starts.

"He's been training great. He came out of the Bold Ruler in great shape and we're pointing for it," McLaughlin said.

True Timber ran second, by three-quarters of a length, to Patternrecognition in last year's Cigar Mile. That marked the last of three times the Kentucky bred was a runner-up in a graded stakes, which also includes last year's Grade 3 Bold Ruler and the 2017 Grade 3 Withers. He earned a personal-best 104 Beyer in the 2018 Cigar Mile after going six-wide in the upper stretch.

"He's doing well. It's a tough race, but he ran great in it last year," McLaughlin said. "We're hoping to repeat that."

True Timber's workmate on Saturday, Ajaaweed, will be making just his fourth career start in the Remsen, a fellow prestigious race on the NYRA circuit that serves as the state's last Kentucky Derby prep race of the calendar year. Offering 10-4-2-1 points to the top-four finishers, the Remsen is contested at 1 1/8 miles.

Ajaaweed breezed five furlongs in 1:01.54. After running fifth in his debut at six furlongs on August 10 at Saratoga, he broke his maiden with a 4 ¼-length score at one mile on September 11 at Belmont. McLaughlin then stepped up the Kentucky homebred to stakes company, where she rallied from ninth three-quarters of a mile in to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity on October 5 at Keeneland.

McLaughlin said getting to stay closer to his home base at Belmont could be beneficial compared to that start.

"He's doing very well. He shipped to Kentucky last time but didn't ship really well and wasn't quite himself for a couple of days," McLaughlin said. "He came back here and has been training very, very well, and he's ready. We think he wants a mile and an eighth, so all is well."

Chester and Mary Broman's Pauseforthecause could potentially go in the $100,000 Garland of Roses for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going six furlongs on Sunday, December 8 at the Big A, though McLaughlin said he isn't sure yet if that's the route he'll go.

The 4-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway is coming off back-to-back wins, including a 3 ¼-length win in the Iroquois on October 19 at Belmont last out in which she garnered a personal-best 91 Beyer.

"She's doing very well; we're just looking at that race or maybe against New York-breds in early January," McLaughlin said.

Bal Harbour 'all systems go' for G1 Cigar Mile

Red Oak Stable's multiple graded-stakes placed homebred Bal Harbour visited the Belmont Park training track on Saturday to breeze four furlongs in 50.25 seconds in his final preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old son of First Samurai is winless in six starts this year, all against graded stakes company, but has finished no worse than third in his last four races including a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Woodward presented by NYRA Bets this summer at Saratoga Race Course. Last out, he finished third over an off track at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Fayette won by Tom's d'Etat.

Likely to face another deep field in the Cigar Mile, Pletcher, who has previously won the Cigar Mile four times and most recently with Stay Thirsty in 2012, said he is happy with the way Bal Harbour continues to train heading into the race.

"He's continuing to train sharply," said Pletcher. "Everything looks good. He seems to have maintained his form throughout the year. It's a tough race as you would expect for the Cigar Mile but we're happy with the way he's coming into it. Tyler [Gaffalione] thought he might have spun his wheels over the sloppy track in the Fayette but he didn't disgrace himself and [winner] Tom's d'Etat came back and won the [Grade 1] Clark so he's been holding good company all year."

Cigar Mile Day on December 7 will feature Empire 6 mandatory payout

There will be a mandatory payout of the Empire on Saturday, December 7 - Cigar Mile Day - at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The jackpot carryover heading into Sunday's card stood at $520,913.

The card on December 7 will feature four graded stakes, highlighted by the 31st running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile and also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen, the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle and the Grade 3, $250,000 Go For Wand.

Featuring a $0.20 minimum wager and 20 percent takeout, the Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100% of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner.

If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75% of the day's net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.