The 37th and final Cigar Mile Handicap to be conducted at Aqueduct showcased a group of seven thoroughbreds, featuring Bishops Bay and Phileas Fogg, two highly talented 5-year-olds. Displaying comparable early speed capabilities, Bishops Bay and Phileas Fogg are set to compete head-to-head for the first time, having been assigned starting positions on the outer part of the field.
Initially recognized as the NYRA Mile, the race underwent a name change in 1997 as a tribute to Cigar, who achieved a dominant seven-length victory in 1994 and received the Horse of the Year title in both 1995 and 1996. The following offers an overview of the Grade 2 Cigar Mile contenders from the inside post position outwards.
Doc Sullivan, the sole New York-bred entrant, secured the advantageous inside post and enters the race following a decisive 5 ½ length triumph in the New York Stallion Series Stakes on a rain-affected Aqueduct track on Nov. 22. Mika, the only 3-year-old in the contest, is poised to make his first appearance after transitioning back to trainer Mike Maker and boasts victories in his previous two races by a cumulative margin of 23 ½ lengths. Pentathlon registered a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 102 during his recent 3 ¼ length victory at the allowance optional claiming level over this specific one-mile track. Crazy Mason is set to embark on his sixth consecutive graded stakes event under the guidance of trainer Gregory Sacco, with accomplished jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. assuming the riding duties for the first time. Brazenly, the most seasoned contender in the field, is scheduled to make only his third appearance outside the state of California in his extensive 40th career race, and at the age of 7, achieved a personal-best Equibase figure of 107 in his most recent performance. Morning-line favorite Phileas Fogg drew post 6 and narrowly missed victory by three quarters of a length in the Woodward Stakes behind Locked, the 2024 Cigar Mile victor. Bishops Bay drew the outermost post position and is preparing for his fifth consecutive graded stakes start under the direction of trainer Brad Cox.
Analysis and Primary Competitors:
The reliable performances of Bishops Bay are noteworthy. He has achieved eight victories and one third-place finish in 12 career races, with half of those triumphs occurring in graded stakes competitions. The offspring of Uncle Mo displayed promise early on, securing a debut victory by three quarters of a length over First Mission, who later became a multiple graded stakes champion. Bishops Bay concluded his 3-year-old season with two runner-up placements in the Peter Pan Stakes and Ohio Derby before a hiatus spanning over 17 months. Bishops Bay made a comeback last November, triumphing in an allowance optional claiming race at Horseshoe Indianapolis, but has particularly excelled this year as a 5-year-old. Following a second-place finish in January, he proceeded to achieve four consecutive victories, including the American Pharoah Overnight Stakes, the Westchester Stakes, and a dominant five-length win in the Salvator Mile Stakes in June, where he attained a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 111. Notably, all four consecutive wins were achieved with Flavien Prat as the jockey. In August, Bishops Bay competed in Grade 1 company, finishing sixth by 4 ¼ lengths behind Book’em Danno in the Forego Stakes, with Cigar Mile contender Crazy Mason securing third place. During his most recent race at Belmont at the Big A on Nov. 2, Bishops Bay closely followed the pace, seized the lead at the quarter pole, and ultimately won the Forty Niner Stakes at the same mile distance with Prat back as the jockey. Prat has maintained an unblemished record with Bishops Bay, achieving a perfect 5-for-5 record together. In addition to their successful partnership, Prat and trainer Brad Cox have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness on the NYRA circuit over the past three years, achieving a 43% win rate with 30 wins from 70 starts, finishing in the top three at a rate of 74%, and generating a positive 32% return on investment. Bishops Bay leads this field with an average Equibase Speed Figure of 105 and is tied for the highest average class rating with a 108. Furthermore, he remains undefeated with two victories at Aqueduct and has a perfect 3-for-3 record at this mile distance on the dirt track. In multi-race wagering, Bishops Bay presents as a solid contender, particularly if he is offered at favorable odds as the second post-time choice behind Phileas Fogg.
Considering the abundance of early speed in this year’s Cigar Mile, Crazy Mason emerges as a contender who could greatly benefit from a late-closing strategy. The Coal Front colt has demonstrated a strong 4-year-old campaign in 2025, commencing the season with three consecutive victories at Aqueduct, including a win in the Carter Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, where he achieved an Equibase figure of 107. Following that streak, he secured a third-place finish behind Book’em Danno and Mullikin in the True North Stakes over a rain-affected Saratoga track in June before venturing west for his first Grade 1 attempt in the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar, where he finished sixth by 5 ¾ lengths. Subsequently, Crazy Mason returned to New York and delivered an impressive performance in the Forego Stakes in August, finishing third to Book’em Danno by a mere 1 ¾ lengths, despite encountering interference at the starting gate and breaking last. In his most recent race in September, he once again broke last but exhibited a powerful finish, rallying along the rail and gaining ground with each stride to finish second in the Vosburgh Stakes Presented by Army Mule at Belmont at the Big A. Crazy Mason shares the highest average class rating of 108 with Bishops Bay and possesses a significant opportunity to make a late impact behind what is anticipated to be a rapid pace. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be riding him for the first time, a noteworthy development considering his current form, as he leads all North American jockeys in both wins and earnings in 2025. Over the past 10 days, Ortiz Jr. has achieved an impressive 43% win rate in stakes races, with six wins from 14 mounts and 79% in-the-money finishes. With Bishops Bay also competing in the field, securing the winner’s circle will be challenging on Saturday, but based on his recent performances and the projected pace scenario, Crazy Mason has a strong chance of finishing in the top three on Saturday.
Phileas Fogg has also demonstrated consistent performance, showcasing a career marked by dependability, with nine wins and five second-place finishes in 20 starts. Similar to Bishops Bay, he has improved with age. Since being acquired for $62,500 by Jupiter Stable in August of 2024, Phileas Fogg has finished outside the top three only once in nine starts for the Gustavo Rodriguez stable, and even that occurred when he crossed the finish line in third place in theJockey Club Gold Cup Stakes before being disqualified to seventh. The last instance of Phileas Fogg racing at this mile distance was when he surged to victory by 3 ¾ lengths in an allowance optional claiming race in his first start following the claim in September of last year. Since then, he has not raced at distances shorter than 1 1/8 miles, winning two listed stakes races by a combined margin of 13 ¼ lengths and achieving a frontrunning victory in the Suburban Stakes Presented by Subourbon. Most recently, he was overtaken late by Locked in the Woodward Stakes after setting the pace throughout. This slight reduction in distance for the Cigar Mile could be precisely what he requires, although securing a clear early lead may prove challenging given the anticipated fast pace from runners positioned both inside and outside of him. Nevertheless, considering his consistent form and strong performances in competitive graded stakes races, it is difficult to envision a scenario where Phileas Fogg does not play a significant role on Saturday.
The remaining contenders, along with their highest Equibase Speed Figures in comparable races, include Doc Sullivan (108), Mika (108), Pentathlon (102), and Brazenly (107).
Potential Winners, Listed in Order of Preference:
Bishops Bay
Crazy Mason
Phileas Fogg
