Originally known as the NYRA Mile, this race was renamed in 1997 in honor of Cigar, who dominated by seven lengths in 1994 and was named Horse of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. Here’s a look at the Grade 2 Cigar Mile field from the rail out.
Doc Sullivan, the only New York-bred runner, pulled the track stake and is fresh off a 5 ½-length victory in the New York Stallion Series Stakes on a sloppy Aqueduct track on Nov. 22. Mika, the only 3-year-old in the field, will make his first start after returning to trainer Mike Maker, winning his last two starts by a combined 23 ½ lengths. Pentathlon earned a career-best 102 Equibase Speed Figure for his 3 ¼ length victory last time at the optional claims level going one mile around this track. Crazy mason will make his sixth consecutive ranking for trainer Gregory Sacco, with red-hot jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. getting the mount for the first time. The group’s seasoned veteran, Brazenly, will be making only his third start outside the state of California in his 40th year.e career race, last earning a career-best 107 Equibase mark at age 7. Morning favorite Phileas Fogg drew post 6 and narrowly missed out by three-quarters of a length behind 2024 Cigar Mile winner Locked last time out in the Woodward Stakes. Bishops Bay drew the far outside post and will make their fifth consecutive ranking for coach Brad Cox.
Analysis and top contenders:
The consistency of Bishops Bay is hard to miss. He has recorded eight wins and a third from 12 career starts, half of which were ranked. Uncle Mo’s son showed immediate talent, breaking his maiden by three-quarters of a length on his debut as a three-year-old over First Mission, who became a multiple stakes winner. Bishops Bay ended his three-year-old season with two second-place finishes in the Peter Pan Stakes and the Ohio Derby, before being sidelined for just over 17 months. Bishops Bay resurfaced last November to win an optional claim fee race at Horseshoe Indianapolis, but he has really come into his own this year as a five-year-old. After a second-place finish in January, he scored four consecutive wins, including the American Pharoah Overnight Stakes, the Westchester Stakes and then a dominant five-length score in the Salvator Mile Stakes in June, earning a career-best 111 Equibase Speed Figure. It is striking that all four consecutive victories were achieved with Flavien Prat on board. In August Bishops Bay moved up to Grade 1 Company and finished sixth by 4 ¼ lengths behind Book’em Danno in the Forego Stakes while piloted by Irad Ortiz, while Cigar Mile contender Crazy Mason finished third. The last time we were at the Big A in Belmont on November 2, Bishops Bay kept the pace high, took the quarter pole and then won the Forty Niner Stakes at the same mile distance with Prat back in the saddle. Prat has never lost at Bishops Bay and played a perfect 5-for-5 together. In addition to that partnership success, Prat and trainer Brad Cox have been remarkably effective on the NYRA circuit over the past three years, winning 43% with 30 wins from 70 starts, getting on the board with 74% and achieving a positive return on investment of 32%. Bishops Bay ranks first in this field with an average Equibase Speed Figure of 105 and is tied for first in the average class with a 108. He is also undefeated in two starts at Aqueduct and is 3-for-3 in this mile distance on the sand. In multi-race betting, Bishops Bay is emerging as a reliable single, especially with added value if he leaves as second choice after the time limit after Phileas Fogg.
Considering the amount of early speed during this year’s Cigar Mile, Crazy mason is someone who could benefit greatly from a final trip. The Coal Front colt has put together a strong four-year-old campaign in 2025, opening the season with three straight victories at Aqueduct, including a victory in the Carter Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, where he earned an Equibase rating of 107. He followed that streak with a third-place finish behind Book’em Danno and Mullikin in the True North Stakes over a sloppy Saratoga track in June before heading west for his first Grade 1 effort in the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar, where he finished sixth by 5 ¾ lengths. Crazy Mason then returned to New York and put in a great performance in the Forego Stakes in August, finishing third behind Book’em Danno by just 1 ¾ lengths, despite reaching the starting gate and dying last. In his most recent start in September he broke last again but finished strongly, getting on track and winning every step of the way to finish second in the Vosburgh Stakes presented by Army Mule at Belmont at the Big A. Crazy Mason is tied with Bishops Bay for first in the intermediate class at 108 and has every chance to make a late impact behind a likely strong pace. Irad Ortiz Jr. climbs aboard for the first time, which is significant considering the shape he’s in. He leads all North American jockeys by wins and earnings through 2025. Over the past ten days, Ortiz Jr. won a whopping 43% in stakes races with six wins from 14 mounts and 79% in-the-money finishes. With Bishops Bay in the field, the winner’s circle won’t be easy to find on Saturday, but based on his recent efforts and the expected pace scenario, Crazy Mason has a very good chance of getting on the board on Saturday.
Phileas Fogg is another force of consistency in this area, displaying a career marked by reliability with nine wins and five seconds from twenty starts. Like Bishops Bay, it has only improved with age. Since being claimed by Jupiter Stable for $62,500 in August 2024, Phileas Fogg has missed the board just once in nine starts for Gustavo Rodriguez’s barn, and even that happened when he crossed the line third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes before being disqualified to seventh. The last time Phileas Fogg ran this mile distance he pulled away to win by 3 ¾ lengths in a claiming optional race on his first start after the claiming in September last year. He hasn’t raced shorter than 1 1/8 miles since, winning two named stakes by a combined length of 13 ¼ and gaining a lead in the Suburban Stakes Presented by Subourbon. Most recently he was caught late by Locked in the Woodward Stakes after dictating the pace throughout. This small turnaround in the Cigar Mile could be just what he needs, although securing a clear early lead could prove difficult with an expected fast pace of runners in and out. Still, given his consistency and strong form in a high-stakes company, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which Phileas Fogg does not play a major role on Saturday.
The rest of the field, with their best Equibase speed figures in comparable races, does Doc Sullivan (108), Mika (108), Pentathlon (102), and Cheeky (107).
Win contenders in preference order:
Bishops Bay
Crazy mason
Phileas Fogg
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