Cigar started his racing career as an unremarkable three-year-old in 1993. He was a low-grade stakes/high-class allowance horse that only won two out of nine races in his first year and two out of six in his second year. However, he was able to turn this around at the end of his second year where he won his last two races of 1994 and then proceeded to go on an incredible 16-win streak, tying the win streak set by Triple Crown winner Citation in 1948-1950.
During Cigar’s undefeated era in 1995, he had 10 consecutive wins with outstanding performances that earned Beyer Speed Figures of 108, 114, 116, 121, 114, 117, 118, 111, 111, and 117. When he was under consideration for the American Horse of the Year award in 1995, the judges were nearly unanimous in their decision: only two of the 306 ballots that were cast did not vote for him. Cigar was also awarded the American Champion Older Male Horse award that year, and he became the nation’s top money earner until 2008, when he was surpassed by Curlin.
Cigar was ranked 18th by BloodHorse in their list of the top 100 thoroughbreds of the 20th century and was later inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The sportswriter Andrew Beyer called him the “best of the 1990s.” A life-size bronze statue was unveiled at Gulfstream Park to honor Cigar on “A Salute to Cigar Day” on February 2, 1997. A bronze statue of Cigar was also erected at Kentucky Horse Park’s Walk of Champions at his grave, which was unveiled on October 27, 2015.
After he retired from racing, Cigar proved infertile and quickly retired from stud. He spent his long retirement at Kentucky Horse Park before dying at 24.
Horse Profile
- Foaled: April 18, 1990
- Bred: USA
- Sex: Stallion
- Debuted: 1993
- Retired: 1996
- Death: October 7, 2014 (Cigar suffered osteoarthritis in his spine, leading to instability in his legs. He underwent surgery, but complications ensued, and he died at the age of 24)
- Color and Markings: dark bay colt with three white socks on his legs and a white star and stripe on his forehead
- Sire: Palace Music
- Dam: Solar Slew
- Owner: Madeleine A. Paulson and Allen E. Paulson
- Breeder: Allen E. Paulson
- Trainer: Alex Hassinger Jr. and William I. Mott (from age 4)
- Regular Jockeys: Jerry Bailey
Characteristics
Cigar was a beautifully conformed bay with a long, low stride, standing 16.1 hands. He had a scar on his chest from a collision with a fence when he was a weanling. He had surgery to remove bone chips from both knees following his 3-year-old season. As a foal, he was called “The Hammer” for his habit of lashing out at anyone who got close enough with his hooves. As he matured, he became a kind-natured horse. He enjoyed interacting with people and had the reputation of being a “ham” who liked posing for the camera. He loved peppermint candies.
Historical Achievements, Honors Received, and Recognitions
- Eclipse Award, American Horse of the Year (1995, 1996)
- Eclipse Award, American champion older male (1995, 1996)
- Maryland-bred Horse of the Year (1995, 1996)
- Maryland-bred champion older male (1995, 1996)
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1989)
- Racehorse of the Decade of the 1990s
- He received the Hall of Fame (2002)
- Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame (inducted in the inaugural class of 2013)
Rankings
- Cigar was rated #18 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
- Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1994, 6 pounds below the high-weighted Colonial Affair and 5 pounds below the official division champion, The Wicked North.
- Cigar's top Timeform rating of 138 pounds was the highest ever awarded to a North American runner. American Pharoah later tied him in 2015.
- Cigar's victory in the inaugural Dubai World Cup was ranked #40 in Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments, a review of racing in the 20th century compiled by The Blood-Horse and released in 2006.
Fun Facts
- Cigar was named like most of Paulson's horses. He was named for an airplane checkpoint. The checkpoint that gave him his name is about 100 miles west of Tampa, Fla., in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Cigar's regular traveling companion during his racing days was a white stable pony named Snowball. Snowball, a registered Quarter Horse, retired from his racetrack duties in 1997 and lived to be 27.
- Cigar was the fourth of five Breeders' Cup Classic winners for Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey.
- Cigar was paraded to Madison Square Garden, where he bade farewell to racing before 16,000 fans at the 113th National Horse Show on November 2, 1996.
- Cigar was the leading North American money-earning racehorse at the time of his retirement.
- The NYRA Mile was renamed the Cigar Mile in 1997. It is currently a Grade 1 race for ages 3 and up contested over a mile on dirt at Aqueduct.
- A book inspired by Cigar, titled, Cigar: America's Horse, was written by Jay Hovdey and was published by Eclipse Press in 1996.
Racing Career
| Record | Earnings |
|---|---|
33: 19-4-5 | $9,999,815 |
| WON RACES | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Finish | Winning Time | Winning Margin | Jockey |
1993 – three-year-old season | ||||||||
May 9, 1993 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Hollywood Park | 1 | 1:09.56 | 2 ¼ lengths | Patrick Valenzeula | |
August 18, 1993 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Allowance | Del Mar | 1 | 1:41.81 | 2 ¾ lengths | Chris McCarron | |
1994 – four-year-old season | ||||||||
October 28, 1994 | 1 mile | Allowance | Aqueduct | 1 | 1:35.78 | 8 lengths | Mike Smith | |
November 26, 1994 | 1 mile | NYRA Mile Handicap | I | Aqueduct | 1 | 1:36.10 | 7 lengths | Jerry Bailey |
1995 – five-year-old season | ||||||||
January 22, 1995 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Allowance | Gulfstream Park | 1 | 1:43.22 | 2 lengths | Jerry Bailey | |
February 11, 1995 | 1 ⅛ miles | Donn Handicap | I | Gulfstream Park | 1 | 1:49.68 | 5 ½ lengths | Jerry Bailey |
March 5, 1995 | 1 ¼ miles | Gulfstream Park Handicap | I | Gulfstream Park | 1 | 2:02.95 | 7 ½ lengths | Jerry Bailey |
April 15, 1995 | 1 ⅛ miles | Oaklawn Handicap | I | Oaklawn Park | 1 | 1:47.22 | 2 ½ lengths | Jerry Bailey |
May 13, 1995 | 1 3⁄16 miles | Pimlico Special Handicap | I | Pimlico | 1 | 1:53.72 | 2 ¼ lengths | Jerry Bailey |
June 3, 1995 | 1 ⅛ miles | Massachusetts Handicap | Suffolk Downs | 1 | 1:48.74 | 4 lengths | Jerry Bailey | |
July 2, 1995 | 1 ¼ miles | Hollywood Gold Cup | I | Hollywood Park | 1 | 1:59.46 | 3 ½ lengths | Jerry Bailey |
September 16, 1995 | 1 ⅛ miles | Woodward Stakes* | I | Belmont Park | 1 | 1:47.07 | 2 ¾ lengths | Jerry Bailey |
October 7, 1995 | 1 ¼ miles | Jockey Club Gold Cup | I | Belmont Park | 1 | 2:01.29 | 1 length | Jerry Bailey |
October 28, 1995 | 1 ¼ miles | Breeders’ Cup Classic | I | Belmont Park | 1 | 1:59.58 | 2 ½ lengths | Jerry Bailey |
1996 – six-year-old season | ||||||||
February 10, 1996 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Donn Handicap | I | Gulfstream Park | 1 | 1:49.12 | 2 lengths | Jerry Bailey |
March 27, 1996 | 1 1⁄4 miles | Dubai World Cup | Nad Al Sheba | 1 | 2:03.84 | 3⁄4 length | Jerry Bailey | |
June 1, 1996 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Massachusetts Handicap | Listed | Suffolk Downs | 1 | 1:49.63 | 2 1⁄4 lengths | Jerry Bailey |
July 13, 1996 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Arlington Citation Challenge Invitational Stakes | Listed | Arlington | 1 | 1:48.30 | 3 1⁄2 length | Jerry Bailey |
September 14, 1996 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Woodward Stakes | I | Belmont Park | 1 | 1:47.06 | 4 lengths | Jerry Bailey |
Legend: | ||||||||
| LOST RACES | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Placement | Time | Losing Margin | Jockey |
1993 – three-year-old season | ||||||||
February 21, 1993 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Santa Anita Park | 7 | 1:10.91 | (13 lengths) | Patrick Valenzeula | |
May 23, 1993 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Allowance | Hollywood Park | 4 | 1:41.38 | (1 ¾ lengths) | Patrick Valenzeula | |
June 12, 1993 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Allowance | Hollywood Park | 3 | 1:41.46 | (1 ¾ lengths) | Patrick Valenzeula | |
September 3, 1993 | 1 mile | Allowance | Del Mar | 2 | 1:35.06 | (½ length) | Chris McCarron | |
September 25, 1993 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Ascot Handicap | III | Bay Meadows | 3 | 1:41.66 | (½ length) | Patrick Valenzeula |
November 5, 1993 | 1 ⅛ miles | Volante Handicap | III | Santa Anita Park | 2 | 1:48.03 | (2 lengths) | Patrick Valenzeula |
November 20, 1993 | 1 ⅛ miles | Hollywood Derby | I | Hollywood Park | 11 | 1:46.88 | (14 ½ lengths) | Patrick Valenzeula |
1994 – four-year-old season | ||||||||
July 8, 1994 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Allowance | Belmont Park | 4 | 1:43.07 | (9 lengths) | Jose Santos | |
August 8, 1994 | 1 ⅛ miles | Allowance | Saratoga | 3 | 1:48.61 | (3 lengths) | Mike Smith | |
September 16, 1994 | 1 mile | Allowance | Belmont Park | 7 | 1:33.14 | (8 ½ lengths) | Jerry Bailey | |
October 7, 1994 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Allowance | Belmont Park | 3 | 1:41.40 | (7 ½ lengths) | Julie Krone | |
1996 – six-year-old season | ||||||||
August 10, 1996 | 1 ¼ miles | Pacific Classic Stakes | I | Del Mar | 2 | 1:59.85 | (3 ½ lengths) | Jerry Bailey |
October 5, 1996 | 1 ¼ miles | Jockey Club Gold Cup | I | Belmont Park | 2 | 2:00.70 | (head) | Jerry Bailey |
October 26, 1996 | 1 ¼ miles | Breeders’ Cup Classic | I | Woodbine | 3 | 2:01.00 | (1⁄2 length) | Jerry Bailey |
Statues
- On February 2, 1997, a life-size bronze statue of Cigar was unveiled at Florida’s Gulfstream Park on “A Salute to Cigar Day.”
- On October 27, 2015, the Kentucky Horse Park unveiled a bronze statue of Cigar by Douwe Blumberg. It is located at the horse’s grave on the Kentucky Horse Park’s Walk of Champions.