Tuesday, October 22, 2013

HRN: Breeders' Cup Flashback: Cigar

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Breeders' Cup Flashback: Cigar

"The magnificent bay horse jogged over the muddy surface at Belmont Park, his large frame garnering the attention of a large portion of the 37,000-plus people gathered at Big Sandy. The toteboard in the infield of the expansive track reflected his very low odds, which were far lower than those of the other ten elite Thoroughbreds entered in the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic. His name had been uttered around the track all day and now it rested on the lips of the restless crowd as the field approached the starting gate: Cigar.

Exactly a year prior, the Maryland-bred son of Palace Music had begun an exhilarating winning streak, taking an allowance at Aqueduct. He now had won ten consecutive races, eight of which were of the grade one variety. Despite encountering a competitive Classic field that included seven horses that had captured grade/group ones, he was hailed as the most likely winner of America’s richest race. But the pressure was even more intense than that placed on just any odds-on favorite. The weight of the hopes of racing fans was resting on Cigar’s shoulders. The winning streak had become a race of its own and a loss in the championship race would be crushing to racing enthusiasts, as it would spoil Cigar’s perfect 1995 season. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

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