Late Run Gives Flat Out Cigar Victory
Flat Out runs down Private Zone to win the Cigar Mile Handicap
The 25th running of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct had a little bit of everything: top 3-year-olds like Goldencents and Verrazano; crack sprinters Forty Tales and Private Zone; and last year's filly and mare sprint champion, Groupie Doll, who lost the 2012 Cigar Mile by a nose.
In the end, however, it was the oldest, richest, and most experienced among the Cigar Mile's 10 starters who got the money, when Preston Stables' 7-year-old Flat Out, under Junior Alvarado, rallied past front-running Private Zone to win by 1 1/4 lengths, with Private Zone holding second, and Verrazano third, Groupie Doll fourth, and Clearly Now fifth. The son of the A. P. Indy stallion Flatter, who stands at Claiborne Farm, covered one mile on a fast track in 1:34.68, carrying 119 pounds under the handicap conditions of the race. He is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.
There was an inquiry as a result of an incident nearing the top of the stretch that did not affect the winner. Clearly Now, racing along the inside, appeared to clip the heels of Private Zone and stumbled badly, losing his momentum. That caused Groupie Doll, running directly behind Clearly Now, to also take up sharply and alter course. Stewards ruled that Private Zone was not at fault.
Flat Out, bred in Florida by Nikolaus Bock and produced from the Cresta Rider mare Crest Lil, was winning for the ninth time in 29 career starts. A stakes winner at 3, 5, 6, and this year at 7, Flat Out's biggest prior wins came in the 2011 and '12 G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, run at Belmont Park, where he'd won five of seven starts, with two thirds. The Cigar Mile was his first race at Aqueduct.
After finishing eighth to Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 2 (he was third in 2012 Classic and fifth in 2011), Mott sent Flat Out to Payson Park in Florida, where he turned in two solid workouts of :48 seconds for a half mile, quick times on the deep training track there. Mott had previously said the Cigar Mile (he trained the race's namesake, who won the 1994 renewal when it was known as the NYRA Mile, and also trained 2011 winner To Honor and Serve) was always under consideration for Flat Out.
Private Zone, at 32-1 shot to the early lead, rattling off fractions of :22.59, :45.39 and 1:09.79 for the opening three-quarters of a mile. Favored Goldencents was second early, but never appeared to be a serious threat. Groupie Doll was in traffic much of the way on the inside, while Verrazano made a mid-race move on the outside going into the far turn.
Flat Out, in the clear to the outside while racing in mid-pack early, cruised by them all in the stretch, paying $15 for the win and boosting his career earnings to $3,645,383 million. As a Grade 1 winner, Flat Out's Cigar Mile winner's share was $450,000 under the conditions of the race that included increases for Breeders' Cup or G1 winners.
Post race quotes:
Bill Mott, winning trainer of Flat Out (No. 9): "This horse, I can't say enough about him. He's just been a real tough, durable horse, a horse that I've always felt may be as good at a flat mile as he is at 10 furlongs. Although he has won the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice at 10 furlongs, [he 's] versatile enough to get up and get the job done at a mile."
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"I saw Verrazano had about a half-length on [Flat Out at the half-mile pole], and I thought, 'As soon as he clears you, just tip out, follow him, and give us a clear trip.' And he gave him a good, clean trip."
Junior Alvarado, winning jockey aboard Flat Out (No. 9): "He broke very well. I put him in the race and made sure he wasn't too far back. I had a perfect trip. I couldn't ask for anything better than that. For him, I think it was the dream trip - on the outside, clear, nothing bothering him, the speed was going very fast in front. When I asked him, he definitely gave me all he had. He's a very nice horse and he made a very nice run."
Doug O'Neill, trainer of runner-up Private Zone (No. 11) and seventh-place finisher and beaten favorite Goldencents (No. 8): "
Disappointing. We've got to try to dissect [Goldencents' performance]. [Jockey Rafael Bejarano] said [Saratoga Snacks] kind of stumbled and almost came over in front of Goldencents. After that, he thought he had him in a good spot, but just didn't kick on like we had hoped. No real excuse, just trying to figure it all out.
"[Private Zone] ran big. He ran huge. It's one of those things where the 5-2 runs like a 30-1 shot and the 30-1 shot runs like a 5-2 shot. Just a head scratcher, but we'll regroup. We'll go over them good and figure out a game plan."
Martin Pedroza, jockey aboard runner-up Private Zone (No. 11): "He ran a brilliant race, there was no doubt about it. I give all the credit to [owner] Rene Douglas; he wanted to run in this race. He was right; this horse can go the distance. I think he can go two turns. He never stopped."
Todd Pletcher, trainer of third-place finisher Verrazano (No. 10), fifth-place finisher Forty Tales (No. 2), and 10th-place finisher Capo Bastone (No. 6): "I thought Verrazano ran well. It was obviously a very tough race with a lot of experienced veterans, so I thought he ran well."
"Irad [Ortiz, aboard Capo Bastone] said he got clobbered at the start and lost all chance. Forty Tales put in his run, but just flattened out a little bit."
William "Buff" Bradley, trainer of fourth-place finisher Groupie Doll (No. 4): "Rajiv [Maragh] had some problems on the backside going into the turn. You can't [alter course] like that on this track. We took a shot. [Owner] Mandy [Pope] did a great job bringing her up here. That's why they load them in the gate. You have a good horse, you have to run, you have to see."
Rajiv Maragh, jockey aboard fourth-place finisher Groupie Doll (No. 4): "The No. 3 horse [Clearly Now] clipped heels and stumbled right in front of me and almost unseated the jockey at the quarter pole. Before that we were in perfect position and running really good. I had to alter my course and by the time I got her running again it cost us a lot."
Equibase chart
