It’s rare for sports enthusiasts to get to observe a distinguished coach developing a champion athlete, and even rarer to see an exceptional animal athlete evolve. Cigar’s transformation, from a horse with limited turf skills to a dirt-track legend, highlights the crucial impact of a trainer.
Cigar’s transformation from a horse that displayed moderate capabilities on turf to a distinguished runner on dirt showcases a trainer’s critical role.
The offspring of Palace Music did not compete at age 2 before securing two victories in nine races the subsequent year under the guidance of his initial trainer, Alex Hassinger Jr. He concluded his 3-year-old season with earnings of $89,175 but failed to achieve victory in stakes competitions.
Subsequently, Allen Paulson, the owner and breeder, made a pivotal decision. He relocated Cigar from the West Coast to the East to be managed by Bill Mott, an inductee of the Hall of Fame.
Mott, known for his patience, held off on entering Cigar back into competition until July. Following a couple of third-place finishes on turf, Mott switched Cigar to dirt. This led to a commanding eight-length victory in a one-mile allowance race at Aqueduct on Oct. 28, 1994.
This substantial win initiated a 16-race winning sequence, enabling Cigar to triumph across diverse distances and equal Citation’s record for the most consecutive wins by a prominent American horse. Citation had a streak of 16 consecutive wins from 1948-50.
Jerry Bailey, Cigar’s regular jockey, attributes significant credit to Mott for this achievement. “I believe Cigar was a genuine, natural miler, among the best I’ve ever ridden. He reminded me of a Seattle Slew type,” Bailey noted. “Under Mott’s guidance, he could extend to a mile and a quarter. We had to encourage him. At times, it was easier to persuade Cigar than others.”
Most spectators would concur that Cigar’s defining moment was the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic held at Belmont Park. It marked the culmination of a perfect 10-for-10 season, yielding $4,819,800 and securing him the titles of Horse of the Year and champion older male.
It was as though Cigar recognized the importance of the Classic, eager to seize the lead. He tugged at Bailey while the jockey struggled to maintain control, mindful of the mile-and-a-quarter distance.
“I feared the whip would slip from my grasp,” Bailey recalled. “In that particular race, the sole reason I released him when I did was because I had lost all sensation in my hands. My fingers were numb from him pulling on the reins.”
Cigar surged home in a stakes record time of 1:59.58, accompanied by Tom Durkin’s memorable race call. Durkin exclaimed as Cigar charged toward the finish line: “And here he is, the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!”
Despite Cigar’s valiant effort that afternoon, Bailey observed a markedly different demeanor when he took his son, Justin, to the stable the following morning. Cigar lowered his head and gently nudged the 3-year-old.
“He possessed a captivating and composed presence,” Bailey stated. “Outside of race days, Cigar was gentle and calm, as affectionate and friendly as one could wish.”
Cigar commenced 1996 with a 12-race winning streak, which quickly became 13 when he geared up for the inaugural Dubai World Cup with a repeat victory in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The World Cup was shrouded in uncertainty, as the reigning Horse of the Year was contending with foot issues and faced a long journey to a distant land.
Bailey’s concerns dissipated once Cigar engaged Soul of the Matter, his primary competitor. “I think he outperformed many horses even before pulling ahead, due to the manner in which he approached them and made eye contact,” the rider explained. “Cigar was covering the same distance with considerably more ease. I believe the other horse inherently knew it couldn’t sustain the pace.”
Soul of the Matter couldn’t, and the reserved Mott observed with satisfaction as Cigar exerted himself to secure his 14th consecutive victory on an international platform. Two subsequent wins, in the Massachusetts Handicap and the Arlington Citation Challenge, specifically created by Arlington Park for the occasion, allowed Cigar to match Citation’s record.
This set the stage for the Pacific Classic at Del Mar near San Diego. In contrast to the frequent good fortune Cigar had experienced, everything seemed to go wrong for him in the Pacific Classic. Cigar and Bailey found themselves in a blazing speed duel with Siphon and Dramatic Gold, resulting in blistering first three-quarters of a mile in 1:09 1/5 seconds. This proved detrimental to all three, as longshot Dare and Go, expertly ridden by Alex Solis, swept past for the upset. Cigar finished second.
Despite the unfavorable beginning to his career, he would eventually secure 19 victories in 33 races, amassing earnings of $9,999,813. However, the moment Bailey cherishes most is his visit to Cigar in the test barn after the Pacific Classic. He had made it a tradition to reward him with a peppermint after each race.
Cigar, the proud champion he was, declined the peppermint.
Note: This narrative was initially released in November 2016 and has since been revised.
Intriguing Details
- Cigar’s name originates not from a tobacco product, but from a navigational marker.
- His dam, Solar Slew, was sired by Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown victor.
- According to Paulson family traditions, Madeleine Paulson initially owned Cigar but exchanged him with her husband, Allen, for Eliza, the 1992 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies champion.
- In 1997, the New York Racing Association renamed their prominent fall event to the Cigar Mile. Previously recognized as the NYRA Mile, the 1994 race marked Cigar’s inaugural graded stakes win.
- BloodHorse magazine ranked Cigar as the 18th best Thoroughbred of the 20th Century.
- Cigar, discovered to be infertile, resided in retirement at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions in Lexington, Ky., until his passing in 2014.
