Cigar Mile 2023: Odds and analysis for 12-horse field

The Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile, which is the final graded stakes of the year on the NYRA circuit, drew a field of 12 who will race the one-turn mile distance at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Hoist the Gold, Señor Buscador and Three Technique ship to New York looking to add another graded-stakes victory to their record and boost their career earnings above $1 million.
Here is a full-field analysis with morning-line odds for the Cigar Mile from the Horse Racing Nation staff. It is set as the last on a 10-race card with post time scheduled for 4:12 p.m. EST.

1. Coastal Mission, 12-1. Great Notion – Jeff Runco / Arnaldo Bocachica – 16: 11-3-1 - $566,653. Coastal Mission brings a six-race winning streak and nine wins out of his last 10 starts to Aqueduct, including the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic and the Russell Road at Charles Town. The 4-year-old raced as part of the early pace in all of his starts. His only finish outside of the top three was in a stakes race at Laurel in March. Trifecta finish possible.

2. Everso Mischievous, 7-2. Into Mischief – Brad Cox / Cristian Torres – 6: 4-2-0 - $524,640. Everso Mischievous comes to the Cigar Mile with three wins in a row in the Forty Niner (G2) at Aqueduct, the Harrods Creek at Churchill Downs and an allowance at Saratoga after pressing the pace. Win contender.

3. Señor Buscador, 5-1. Mineshaft – Todd Fincher / Junior Alvarado – 15: 6-0-2 - $823,427. Señor Buscador has four stakes wins beginning with the Remington Mile as a 2-year-old in his second career start. The now 5-year-old added the Ack Ack (G3), a listed stake at Sunland Park and the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar this past summer. This son of Mineshaft depends on a quick pace to aid his closing running style. The winner of two of three starts at a mile will travel from Santa Anita to race on the East Coast for the first time. Win contender.

4. Cascais, 12-1. Into Mischief – Chad Brown / Jose Ortiz – 3: 1-1-1 - $78,150. Cascais is a lightly raced 3-year-old who will be making the fourth start of his career while both facing older horses and running in a stakes race for the first time. He is one of three horses for trainer Chad Brown in this field. Last year Cascais broke his maiden in his second start in November and then was off until October, when he went to lead in an allowance at Aqueduct and got caught in the stretch. Toss.

5. Dr Ardito, 5-1. Liam’s Map – Chad Brown / Manny Franco – 12: 7-2-0 - $439,850. Dr Ardito is a two-time New York-bred stakes winner using closing moves going a mile at Saratoga and Aqueduct. Last time he rallied from 11 lengths behind to finish second in the Forty Niner (G2) between two horses that are in this Cigar Mile field. Dr Ardito is a mile specialist showing a career record of 8: 5-1-0 at the distance. A fast pace is anticipated, which should set up his late-running style. Top choice.

6. High Oak, 20-1. Gromley – Bill Mott / Luis Saez – 12: 2-2-1 - $315,215. High Oak won the first two starts of his career as a 2-year-old in 2021 with a maiden breaker at Belmont Park and the Saratoga Special (G2). He had a six-month layoff after a fourth in the Hopeful (G1) and then was away from the races for a full year after he was pulled up in the Fountain of Youth (G2) in 2022. In eight starts this year High Oak is winless, but he had a second in the Bold Ruler (G2) at the Big A at the end of October with a rally from last. He was a supplemental nomination to the Cigar Mile. Toss.

7. Three Technique, 10-1. Mr Speaker – Jason Cook / Javier Castellano – 33: 6-6-8 - $867,637. Three Technique won the John Nerud (G2) at Belmont Park in July with a closing move after which he took time off. In September he was third in the Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill before trying the Breeders’ Cup, where he was last in the Sprint. Three Technique began his career racing in New York for coach Bill Parcells and eventually got claimed for $40,000 at Churchill Downs in July 2021 by his current trainer. The 6-year-old has the most career starts and earnings in the field, including 13 races and a pair of wins at the mile distance. Live long shot.

8. Offaly Cool, 20-1. Kantharos – Jacinto Solis / Abner Adorno – 10: 4-3-1 - $165,6750. Offaly Cool tries graded-stakes company and older horses for the first time after winning a listed stake at Parx Racing in October while racing on the lead. In June he missed a victory in the Long Branch at Monmouth Park by a head. He was claimed from his maiden breaker for $30,000 at Turfway Park in the winter. Toss.

9. Castle Chaos, 20-1. Palace Malice – Robert Falcone Jr. / Dylan Davis – 12: 3-3-3 - $220,460. Castle Chaos will make his first start in a stakes race after a victory in an Aqueduct allowance a month ago going the mile distance. Toss.

10. Accretive, 4-1. Practical Joke – Chad Brown / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 7: 3-2-1 - $319,750. Accretive set the pace and finished second in the Vosburgh (G2) behind Cody’s Wish two months ago and then was third with more of a stalking trip in the Forty Niner (G2) going a mile at Aqueduct. Last year as a 3-year-old he broke his maiden at first asking and then ran a neck behind Gunite in the Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga. Accretive still looks to get his first stakes victory. Win contender.

11. Hoist the Gold, 10-1. Mineshaft – Dallas Stewart / John Velazquez – 25: 4-6-3 - $844,547. Hoist the Gold got his lone stakes victory in the Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, where he finished sixth at 26-1. The 4-year-old gets class relief after facing top sprinters such as Cody’s Wish, the Chosen Vron and Elite Power. Hoist the Gold did not hit the board in either of his two starts at a mile. Distance might be a concern for him. Use underneath.

12. Pipeline, 20-1. Speightstown – Cherie DeVaux / Jose Lezcano– 13: 2-2-2 - $337,400. Pipeline’s last victory was in an allowance race at Aqueduct in April 2022. That same year he was graded-stakes-placed twice, but he has not been competitive in three starts since returning from a nine-month layoff this year. Pipeline’s only victory beyond his maiden breaker was in a mile allowance at the Big A in April 2022 when he led every step of the way. Toss.

Summary: As is the case with big races that are run at the one-turn mile distance, the Cigar Mile brings together horses who typically run at a mile or less and others who run more often around two turns. Coastal Mission and Hoist the Gold lead the sprinters, and Accretive, Dr Ardito, Everso Mischievous, Señor Buscador and Three Technique are more distance oriented.

A fast pace is anticipated, which should favor the late runners on an Aqueduct track that has been playing fairly for most days. Dr Ardito is a late runner from the Chad Brown barn who is listed at 5-1 on the HRN morning line. He won six races in a row in a span of about two years early in his career. But in his last five starts, Dr Ardito recorded only one victory. His recent second in the Forty Niner could be the best performance of his career, and he is the longest price of the three Brown trainees. Dr Ardito is the top choice.