Lion Tamer roars in Cigar Mile

Lion Tamer was victorious in Saturday’s Cigar Mile  (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

Michael Tabor’s LION TAMER (Will’s Way) was content to trail a
wicked early pace in last down the backstretch, displayed a
dynamic turn of foot on the far turn, and rolled to a 1 1/4-length,
upset victory in Saturday’s $350,000 Cigar Mile H. (G1). Trained
by Todd Pletcher, the four-year-old colt recorded the biggest win
of his career at 12-1 odds with Jose Santos in the saddle.

Pico Central (Brz) (Spend a Buck), the 4-5 favorite, broke
sharply from the rail in the one-turn contest at Aqueduct and set
fractions of :22 2/5, :44 1/5 and 1:08 1/5 with Purge (Pulpit)
and Badge of Silver (Silver Deputy) applying serious pressure.
The fast fractions aided the winner, who advanced quickly with a
four-wide sweep on the turn to be less than a half-length back of
Pico Central at the top of the stretch. The favorite battled
gamely on the inside, but Lion Tamer still had enough momentum
left to draw clear.

“You know that Pico Central is a game horse,” said
Pletcher, who did some campaigning afterward for Speightstown,
whom he trained, to be named champion sprinter. “I was just
worried that maybe Lion Tamer had gotten there too soon. But when
you have momentum like that, you don’t want to take it away. He
was rolling along.”

Lion Tamer paid $26, $9.40 and $3.70. Badge of Silver came
again in deep stretch to nip Pico Central by a nose for second,
and the 3-1 second choice gave back $5.80 and $3.10. Pico Central
returned $2.20. The exacta totaled $110.50 and the 5-6-1 trifecta
was good for $358.50.

Unforgettable Max (Northern Afleet), another 4 3/4 lengths
back at the finish, came next and was followed by Potrisunrise (Arg)
(Potrillazo), Purge, During (Cherokee Run) and Voodoo (Petionville).
Kela (Numerous) was scratched.

Out of the stakes-placed Olympio mare Tippecanoe Creek and
bred in Kentucky by Paul Smith, Lion Tamer was purchased for $180,000
at the 2001 Fasig-Tipton Tipton July Sale and has now earned $763,380
from a 15-8-2-0 mark. He recorded victories earlier this year in
the Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup S. (G2) and Richter Scale
Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) and also captured the Hutcheson S. (G2) in
2003. He has an unraced juvenile half-sister named Stephanootz (Afternoon
Deelites) and a yearling half-sister named Runnel (Polish Numbers).

Pletcher said Lion Tamer would head to Florida for the winter
and that he would play it by ear in regard to future engagements.