Cigar

Background

Cigar was a dark bay stallion with three white socks on his legs and a white star and stripe on his forehead. He was bred in Maryland by Allen Paulson and was foaled at Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Maryland. He was sired by Palace Music, who was a Group 1 winner in England and a Grade I winner in the United States on the turf. Cigar's success made Palace Music the leading sire in North America for 1995, but otherwise Palace Music was moderately successful with turf runners in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Cigar's dam, Solar Slew, was by the 1977 Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. Cigar was a half-brother to Corridora Slew (ARG) by Corridor Key (USA), Mulca, and several other lesser performing horses. His second dam, Gold Sun, was a Group 1 winner in Argentina.

Madeleine A. Paulson was the original owner of Cigar. In his 2003 book, Legacies of the Turf, noted race historian Edward L. Bowen wrote that according to Paulson family banter, she traded Cigar to husband Allen for the filly Eliza, the 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and that year's Eclipse Award choice for American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.

Cigar was named after a navigational intersection for airplanes, not for the tobacco product. Owner Allen Paulson was a major figure in American aviation who had owned the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, which manufactured Gulfstream private business jets. He named many of his horses after the five-letter-long names given to intersections on aeronautical navigational charts.

Cigar stood 16.1 hands (65 inches, 165 cm) at maturity. He had a scar on his chest as a result of a paddock accident as a weanling. As a young horse, he had a habit of kicking out at his handlers, earning him a nickname of "the Hammer". He matured though into a kind horse who enjoyed greeting his fans and posing for the camera. His regular jockey, Jerry Bailey, later recalled a meeting between Cigar and Bailey's three-year-old son the day after the 1995 Breeders' Cup Classic. "He was just nuzzling on him," Bailey said. "Less than 24 hours earlier he was on fire, just a machine, and now he was like a pony in the parking lot of the Kmart. He really liked people."

Racing career

1993: three-year-old season

Cigar did not race as a two-year-old. Under his first trainer, Alex Hassinger Jr., he won twice in nine starts at age three, but failed to win in stakes competition. He did finish second in the Grade III Volante Handicap at the Oak Tree Racing Association fall meeting at Santa Anita, and third in the Grade III Ascot Handicap at Bay Meadows. During this period, Hassinger switched from racing him on dirt to racing him on turf tracks, but the horse remained a low-grade stakes/high-class allowance horse. As a three-year-old, Cigar earned $89,175.

Cigar made his first start on February 21, 1993 at Santa Anita in a maiden special weight race over six furlongs on the dirt. He was never a factor, finishing sixth. He then had some bone chips removed from his knees and did not return until May 9 in another maiden special weight over six furlongs on the dirt. He broke slowly but rushed up to second place after a fast opening quarter-mile in 22.19 seconds. He moved to the lead on the turn and continued to draw away to win by 2+1⁄4 lengths.

For his next starts, Hassinger switched Cigar to turf races over 1+1⁄16 miles with moderate results. On May 23, Cigar finished fourth in an allowance race after leading with a furlong to go, then finished third in his next start on June 12. On August 18 though, he displayed a burst of speed at the top of the stretch that quickly moved him from fifth to first. He continued to draw away to win by 2+3⁄4 lengths.

After finishing second in his next start, Cigar made his graded stakes debut in the Ascot Handicap at Bay Meadows. He raced near the front of the pack for the first three-quarters before taking the lead turning for home, opening a 3+1⁄2-length in mid-stretch. However, he was caught at the finish line and finished third, beaten by a neck. He then finished second in the Volante Handicap on November 5 before finishing a distant eleventh in the Hollywood Derby on November 30.

1994: four-year-old season

The following year, Cigar was sent to an east-coast trainer, Bill Mott, who gave him the first half of the year off, bringing him back to racing in July. Cigar had moderate success in his first four starts of the year before breaking through with a dominant win in an allowance race on October 28. He followed up with his first Grade I win in the NYRA Mile (now the Cigar Mile Handicap), finishing the year with two wins from six starts and earnings of $180,838.

Cigar made his first start of the year on July 8 in an allowance race over 1+1⁄16 miles on the turf at Belmont Park. He vied for the early lead with Victory Cross but tired and finished fourth, beaten by nine lengths. Over the next two months, he continued to race in allowance races on the turf, finishing third on August 9 at Saratoga, seventh on September 16 at Belmont Park, and third on October 7 at Belmont Park. For his next start at Aqueduct on October 28, Mott switched Cigar back to dirt in a one-mile allowance race for non-winners of two races other than maiden or claiming (NW2 X). Cigar challenged for the early lead with the favorite, Golden Plover, completing the first quarter-mile in 22.42 seconds. Cigar then took the lead and drew away, winning by eight lengths. He did not lose again for 22 months.

Mott decided to step Cigar sharply up in class, entering him in the Grade I NYRA Mile at Aqueduct on November 26. He went off at odds of 9-1 in a field of twelve that featured stakes winners Devil His Due, Brunswick, Itaka, Bertrando, and Harlan. Cigar raced for the first half mile in fourth place, then made a strong move on the turn and opened up to win by seven lengths. "Cigar really smoked them," said jockey Jerry Bailey. "I rode him before, but that was on grass and he was flat that day. On the dirt, he's been different."

1995: five-year-old season

At age 5, Cigar scored ten wins from ten starts, earning Beyer Speed Figures of 108, 114, 116, 121, 114, 117, 118, 111, 111, and 117. He travelled widely, winning races in Florida, Arkansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, California, and New York. Mott later commented, "I knew what was going on was special and was never going to happen again. The really good ones win races when they are not at their best. Whether he was coming off a layoff, or had a foot issue, or got caught in compromising position in a race. Cigar overcame all those."

Cigar started 1995 on January 22 in a 1+1⁄16 mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park in January, which he won by two lengths. He then faced the 1994 American Horse of the Year Holy Bull in the Donn Handicap on February 11 at 1+1⁄8 miles. Holy Bull was heavily favored based on his dominant 1994 campaign, with Cigar going off at 4-1. Cigar went to the early lead with Holy Bull pushing the pace to his outside. The two completed the half-mile heads apart in 46.48 seconds. However, as they turned into the backstretch, Holy Bull suffered a strain of the superficial flexor tendon and was pulled up. Cigar won, but little attention was paid to his victory due to the breakdown of Holy Bull, which signaled the end of his racing career. Cigar's winning streak stood at four.

He made his next start on March 5 in the Gulfstream Park Handicap over a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles, and went off as the heavy 1-2 favorite in a field of eleven. He rated behind the early pace set by Northern Trend, then quickly moved to the lead near the top of the stretch. He continued to draw away and won "as rider pleased" by 7+1⁄2 lengths. Cigar then went to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas for the Oaklawn Handicap at 1+1⁄8 miles. The field featured several other highly rated older horses, including 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Concern, who carried top weight of 122 pounds compared to Cigar at 120 pounds, and Silver Goblin, who was also on an extended winning streak, at 119 pounds. Cigar settled into position a few lengths behind the early leader, then started his move on the final turn. Silver Goblin was slightly ahead near the top of the stretch when his jockey accidentally struck Cigar in the face with his whip. Cigar briefly checked but then pinned back his ears and rallied, drawing away to win by 2+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 1:47.22.

Next was the Pimlico Special on May 13 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore at 1+3⁄16 miles. Cigar was the odds-on favorite despite carrying top weight of 122 pounds, compared to Devil His Due and Concern both at 121 pounds. In the absence of other early speed horses, Cigar went to the lead and set moderate opening fractions of 24.38 for the first quarter-mile and 48.16 for the half. He opened up his lead in midstretch and won under a hand ride by 2+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 1:53.72. "I think he's more versatile than any horse I've ever seen," said Paulson. "He can be behind. He can be in front. There's no way to defend against him."

1996: six-year-old season

Cigar's six-year-old campaign started on a high note, with wins in the Donn Handicap and the newly created Dubai World Cup making him the world's richest racehorse. He then extended his winning streak to 16, matching the great Citation, before he was finally defeated in the Pacific Classic in August. He finished the year with a win in the Woodward Stakes followed by narrow losses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic. He was again named American Horse of the Year.

Cigar started his 1996 campaign on February 10 in the Donn Handicap, where he carried 128 pounds – 11 to 18 pounds more than the other entrants. Despite the weight difference, he was the heavy 1-5 favorite. He broke well then settled into third position off the opening pace set by Flying Chevron and Star Standard. He started his move on the far turn, followed by stablemate Wekiva Springs who moved to within a head as they turned into the stretch. In response to the challenge, Cigar quickly pulled away and won easily by two lengths. "He's going to be vulnerable because we're dealing with handicaps," said Mott. "I know some day this has got to come to an end, because we all get older," he added. "But Cigar has gotten stronger with every race. He just gets better and better."

Cigar's next start was expected to be in the Santa Anita Handicap but he had to miss the race after developing an abscess in his right front foot. Instead, he had eleven days of stall rest before resuming training for his next target, the inaugural Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race with a $4,000,000 purse. Cigar had to travel roughly 6,000 miles (9,700 km) from Florida to Dubai for the race, a journey of about 20 hours. Mott faced some criticism for the decision to run but responded by saying, "If I didn't think he was up to it, he wouldn't be going." Great horses had rarely traveled so far, duplicated their form, and then returned home in good shape.

The Dubai World Cup attracted a top quality field from around the world. The American contingent also included L'Carriere (second in the Breeders' Cup Classic) and Soul of the Matter (fourth in the Classic), while international challengers included Pentire, a multiple Group 1 winner from England, and Danewin with five Group 1 wins in Australia. Running at night and over a deep, sandy track made even heavier by recent rainfall, Cigar was also racing for the first time in twelve starts without Lasix. To further complicate matters, he broke poorly. "His rear end sort of came out from behind him," said Bailey. "He didn't handle the track very well."

Honors

Further accolades came when Cigar was named the Racehorse of the Decade of the 1990s. In 2002, he was inducted in his first year of eligibility into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Cigar was ranked #18. In accordance with that ranking, Cigar is the highest-ranked American Thoroughbred during the decade of the nineties (1990–1999) and therefore lays claim to the title American "Horse of the Decade."

Cigar won four Eclipse Awards. In 1995, he was named the American Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male Horse. Despite the losses during his six-year old campaign, he was named Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male Horse again in 1996.

On February 2, 1997, a life-size bronze statue of Cigar was unveiled at Florida's Gulfstream Park on "A Salute to Cigar Day." Also in 1997, the New York Racing Association renamed the Grade I NYRA Mile, run in November at Aqueduct, as the Cigar Mile. The NYRA Mile was the second race in Cigar's winning streak and his first Grade I win. On October 27, 2015, the Kentucky Horse Park unveiled a bronze statue of Cigar by Douwe Blumberg.

Retirement

Cigar was retired to stud at the end of the 1996 racing season. Ceremonies took place during the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden to honor the horse. Cigar was vanned through New York City accompanied for the last few blocks by the New York Knicks cheerleaders and the Budweiser Clydesdales. In the Garden, he was cantered around the arena by Bailey before the lights went out and a trumpeter started to play Auld Lang Syne. Veteran sportswriter Steve Haskin called it "he single most emotional moment I’ve ever experienced in racing."

Paulson sold 75% of Cigar to Coolmore Stud and Michael Tabor, and this equated to a value of $25 million for him. He was taken to stand at the Ashford Stud, the American division of Coolmore Stud, and began his coverings there in February. An insurance policy on Cigar required that he cover 20 mares twice and get at least 60 percent of them in foal to be considered fertile. He proved infertile as a stallion, as none of the 34 mares bred to him became pregnant.

Cigar lived out his retirement at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions in Lexington. Around April 2014, Cigar began to suffer increasingly from osteoarthritis in his spine, leading to instability in his legs. He underwent surgery to correct the problem but complications ensued and he died on October 7.