by Vance Hanson
The leading protagonists in the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile Handicap, one of
four graded stakes to be contested at Aqueduct on Saturday, are each seeking a
bit of redemption. The five-year-old New York-bred Haynesfield is looking to
erase the memories of a frustratingly close beat to the longshot Jersey Town in
last year’s Cigar Mile, while the three-year-old To Honor and Serve will attempt
to rebound from a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic
earlier this month while simultaneously trying to notch his first top-level
score.
Run over one turn at the Big A, the Cigar Mile highlights a program which
also includes the Grade 1, $250,000 Gazelle Stakes for three-year-old fillies;
the Grade 2, $200,000 Remsen Stakes for juveniles; and the Grade 2, $200,000
Demoiselle Stakes for juvenile fillies. All three will be run at 1 1/8 miles.
One of the leading older runners of 2010 when handing champion Blame his only
defeat of the year in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Haynesfield struggled to
recapture that form earlier this season. Unplaced in both the Grade 3
Westchester Stakes and Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap to kick off his campaign,
Haynesfield went to the sidelines for nearly five months after the latter race
to deal with reported foot issues. Returning to action in the October 22 Empire
Classic against state-breds, Haynefield gamely dug in to prevail by a length
while likely less than 100 percent fit.
To Honor and Serve saw his late bid for a divisional championship end when
coming up empty through the stretch of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a race won by
his now-retired stablemate Drosselmeyer. The Bill Mott trainee had preceded that
race with a convincing score in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby, and would seem
to have little fear cutting back from from 1 1/4 miles to one mile. That was the
distance over which he won the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct a year ago,
which he followed up with a victory in the Remsen.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has entered the Mike Repole-owned duo of Calibrachoa
and Caixa Eletronica, both of whom were also entered in the six-furlong, Grade 3
Fall Highweight Handicap on Thanksgiving. Calibrachoa recently proved better
than his stablemate in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Stakes at seven furlongs, but
Caixa Eletronica might be the better fit for the one-mile distance given his
three-length triumph in the Westchester in late May.
Finishing in between the Repole entry in the Bold Ruler was Sangaree, who is
still seeking an elusive graded win for his owner, the Godolphin Stable. The
six-year-old has run second in four of his last attempts against graded foes,
including the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap in July 2010.
The Cigar Mile field is rounded out by Hymn Book, a multiple overnight stakes
winner this season, and the New York-bred stakes winner Pretty Boy Freud.
One champion that will be participating at Aqueduct on Saturday is Awesome
Feather, the top juvenile filly of 2010, who seeks to improve her record to
eight-for-eight in the Gazelle. The Florida-bred won all six of her starts last
season, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs,
and was purchased at auction by Frank Stronach shortly after her
championship-clinching win. However, Awesome Feather soon suffered a tendon
injury that kept her out of action for 11 months.
Successful by two lengths in the seven-furlong Le Slew Stakes at Belmont on
October 5 in her return, Awesome Feather was briefly considered for the
Breeders’ Cup race before Stronach and trainer Chad Brown chose a more
conservative route.
Due to its Grade 1 status the Gazelle attracted nine other fillies, but with
the exception of Awesome Feather its late date has limited the race’s star
drawing power. Pletcher will saddle three, including Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks
heroine Savvy Supreme, who was most recently second in the Remington Park Oaks.
The other major candidates are the top four finishers from the October 27 Real
Prize Stakes at Belmont — R Gypsy Gold, Draw It, Love and Pride and Miss
Valentine.
This year’s Remsen should be much different from the 2010 edition, which To
Honor and Serve won over four opponents at 3-5. A field of 10 colts and geldings
will go postward with no apparent standout among them.
Live Oak Plantation, the owner of To Honor and Serve, will send out Souper
Speedy, a half-brother to Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes winner Brilliant Speed. The
colt surprised at first asking on October 1, taking a Belmont maiden special
weight by three parts of a length at 31-1. Another intriguing entrant from a
pedigree perspective is Stephanoatsee, a recent Laurel maiden graduate who’s a
half-brother to Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford and to 2007 Grade 1
Alabama Stakes winner Lady Joanne.
Pletcher will saddle the recent Belmont maiden romper El Padrino and turf
maiden scorer Our Entourage, who ran fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity
last out. Though a non-factor in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the Gary
Contessa-trained Speightscity has already won over the nine-furlong trip when
taking a Saratoga maiden by 11 1/2 lengths.
Others of note include last-out Toccet Stakes scorer Managed Account and
recent allowance winner Done Talking.
A wide-open Demoiselle also goes with a field of 10, with favoritism possibly
going to the Pletcher-trained Disposablepleasure, who broke her maiden by 11
lengths at Belmont in her third career start. Others likely to attract support
are the Live Oak entry of Wee Party and minor stakes winner Lady Cohiba, Darley
Stable’s Captivating Lass, New York-bred stakes winner Wildcat’s Smile, and
Keeneland maiden winner Indyniable.