Horse Racing: Cigar Mile Handicap Tips
Aqueduct selections for Saturday 2nd December
Queens, New York is the place to be on Saturday as Aqueduct plays host to a stakes race card loaded full of quality. The $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap takes centre stage on a ten-race card.
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Race 7 - 2.45pm US time (7.45pm UK time) - Demoiselle Stakes (Grade 2 - 1m1f)
Todd Pletcher has won the last three runnings of the Demoiselle Stakes and he looks to have a great chance of making that a fourth successive victory with the promising LIFE TALK.
After finishing second on debut at Saratoga in July, this daughter of Gun Runner returned to the same venue a month later to break her maiden by an eased down six-and-a-half-length margin under Irad Ortiz Jr. It was no surprise to see connections pitch her straight into Grade 1 company off the back of that and she ran with great credit in the Frizette, finishing five-and-a-quarter-lengths off Just FYI.
That form was confirmed in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ at Santa Anita with Just F Y I taking the prize, but Life Talk finished closer to the winner in fourth place and she will find this task much easier, so it would be disappointing should she not visit the winners' circle.
Selection: LIFE TALK
Race 8 - 3.17pm (8.17pm) - Go For Wand Stakes (Grade 3 - 1m)
Go For Wand was a champion thoroughbred for a two-year period in 1989-1990 and a field of seven Fillies and Mares are taking to the stage to race for Grade 3 honours in her memory.
Dr B and Tizzy In The Sky hold solid claims, as does Gerrymander, but it’s the youngest horse in this field and one of the Chad Brown-trained pair, GOOD SAM, who is the selection.
She is a course and distance winner who has recorded form figures of 11221 from five career starts thus far and she can stamp her authority on this field in the famous green colours of owner Peter Brant.
Selection: GOOD SAM
Race 9 - 3.45pm (8.45pm) - Remsen Stakes (Grade 2 - 1m1f)
It’s the turn of the colts in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes, which Danny Gargan won last year with Dubyuhnell, and he holds a strong hand with Dornoch, who is likely to go off favourite.
However, there’s plenty of value against him and one who can hit the board at a price is the Brad Cox trained DRUM ROLL PLEASE. This flashy Chestnut has been improving with each start, which culminated in him breaking his maiden in impressive fashion at The Big A in October.
His speed figures are improving all the time and he can have a say in this off the back of some solid four-furlong breezes at Belmont Park in recent weeks.
Selection: DRUM ROLL PLEASE
Race 10 - 4.12pm (9.12pm) - Cigar Mile Handicap (Grade 2 - 1m)
Since its inception in 1988, the Cigar Mile Handicap has been won by some outstanding dirt performers and this year’s renewal will be no different as a top-class field has assembled for what promises to be an intriguing affair.
As expected, this is ultra-competitive, with a good amount of this 12-strong field holding some form of a chance, but one who is a standout is SENOR BUSCADOR, who will be well suited by the way in which this mile dirt contest will be run.
He was last seen finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he ran out of steam having made good ground to try and get himself into contention, but it was too much to ask over a ten-furlong trip when the leaders just didn’t come back to him.
However, this San Diego Handicap winner should get a fast pace to aim at here and the opposition isn’t as strong as the likes of White Abarrio, so if Junior Alvarado can get him close enough to the leaders turning in, then this race will be there for the taking.
