Maximum Security Faces Spun To Run In G1 Cigar Mile

Maximum Security with exercise rider Alvaro Tomas works at Parx Racing in Bensalem, PA on Monday morning September 16, 2019 after shipping down from Monmouth Park.

Multiple Grade 1-winner Maximum Security and G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile victor Spun to Run headline a talented field of 11 for the 31st running of the G1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The lucrative Cigar Mile card, which also features the G2 Remsen for 2-year-olds, the G2 Demoiselle for 2-year-old fillies, the G3 Go for Wand Handicap for older fillies and mares, as well as the rescheduled $150,000 Winter Memories for sophomore fillies and the $125,000 Autumn Days for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, is the signature event of the Aqueduct fall meet.

Carded as Race 10 with a local post time of 4:16 p.m. Eastern, the Cigar Mile will anchor a mandatory payout in the Empire 6 which boasts a jackpot of $520,913 heading into Thursday’s Big A card.

The Cigar Mile Day card will be televised on a special edition of America’s Day at the Races airing on FS2 and MSG+ from 3-4:30 p.m. Eastern.

Gary and Mary West’s Maximum Security has crossed the wire first in seven of eight career starts, including Grade 1 scores in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in March and the Haskell Invitational on July 20 at Monmouth Park.

Last out, Maximum Security returned off a three-month layoff following his Haskell score to capture the Grade 3 Bold Ruler, a seven furlong test against older company, at Belmont. Trained by Jason Servis, the son of New Year’s Day breezed three furlongs in 42.20 on Sunday morning on the Belmont training track.

Luis Saez retains the mount from post 5.

Robert P. Donaldson’s Spun to Run, trained by Juan Carlos Guerrero, boasts a record of five wins from 11 career starts. By Hard Spun, and out of the stakes winning dam Yawkey Way, Spun to Run arrives at the Cigar Mile from a front-running score in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Guerrero credited Irad Ortiz, Jr. for providing Spun to Run a perfect trip in the Dirt Mile as he bested a field of 10, led by multiple Grade 1-winner Omaha Beach.

“He broke perfect and Irad sent him pretty good which I asked him to do. At the half-mile, when I saw Blue Chipper leaving him alone by a couple lengths, I thought it was perfect. He didn’t have to go head and head. I knew from there he would be tough to beat,” said Guerrero. “With his blinkers on, no matter how fast he’s going, he’s in his own little world. It wasn’t that he was going to wait for horses, it was just a matter of when the rider asked him, he was going to take off. In the straightaway, he started lugging out but Irad made him change leads nicely and that was it. I really thought we were winners at the half-mile.”

Spun to Run, who captured the Grade 3 Smarty Jones in September at Parx, has posted a pair of bullet works following his Breeders’ Cup score including a five furlong effort in 59.88 on Saturday at Parx.

“Both works have been solid. He’s coming into the race very nicely,” said Guerrero. “I thought he might have went a little fast in Saturday’s work, but watching him gallop today, if anything, it made him pick up the bit even more. Today was a key day to see what the work took out of him and if anything it put him right back into the bit. He’s pumped up. He’s ready to go.”

With a perfect record in three starts at the Cigar Mile distance, Guerrero said Spun to Run showed improvement with the addition of blinkers which he sported for the first time when third in the nine-furlong Haskell off a four-month layoff.

The talented dark bay, racing without blinkers under Luis Reyes, finished third in a pair of competitive maiden events at Aqueduct over the winter including a December 15 sprint won by eventual Grade 3 Gotham winner Haikal and a January 4 event won by stakes-placed Tikhvin Flew.

“I like my horses to have a race or two without [blinkers] until I’m happy with it and add blinkers on my terms,” said Guerrero. “When he first went to New York, Luis told me he needed blinkers but I like my horses to see the world a little bit.

“I watched him gallop one day when I was on my pony and, as he went by me, he was looking at me. I said, ‘Oh boy, this is not good’,” added Guerrero. “When I put the blinkers on him the next day, he was a different horse. I’m still happy I didn’t put them on too soon, so he wasn’t too aggressive too early in his career.”

Spun to Run, who will ship to New York on the morning of the race, will be piloted by Aqueduct fall meet leading rider Ortiz, Jr. from post 6.

Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables and Head of Plains Partners’ Whitmore will stretch out beyond seven furlongs for the first time since an off-the-board effort in the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Ron Moquett, the 6-year-old son of Pleasantly Perfect has since featured exclusively in sprint stakes notching graded scores in the 2017 G3 Maryland Sprint at Pimlico, 2017 G2 Phoenix at Keeneland, 2018 G3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park and the 2018 G1 Forego at Saratoga Race Course.

He’s also featured prominently in the past two runnings of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, finishing third this year after getting away slowly from the gate.

“On a day that they weren’t making up a lot of ground and horses closer to the pace were doing better, I thought he did something a little different,” said Moquett of the last-out effort.

Moquett said he is hopeful the stretch out in distance, and significant early pace on hand in the Cigar Mile, will benefit Whitmore.

“Until we do it, you don’t know, but we’re hoping it will set up for him,” said Moquett. “There’s a lot of good horses in here that are going to try and impose their will. You could probably run a race like this over three and four times and have different circumstances every time.

“He’s a very honest horse and he has a lot of ability. I’m proud of the consistency that he brings, and I’m excited about trying something new with him,” said Moquett.

Whitmore has breezed twice following his Breeders’ Cup effort, most recently covering a half-mile in 48.40 at Churchill Downs on November 23. Moquett said the gap on the work tab ahead of Saturday’s test is by design.

“We did some two-minute clips. I was trying to do things just a little bit different and hopefully it works out,” said Moquett. “I think he runs well at seven-eighths and hopefully he likes the added distance.”

Joel Rosario picks up the mount from the inside post.

The complete field, from rail out is: