Secret Circle returns in Cigar Mile

Ozone Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Former Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Secret Circle returns to the races Saturday in the $500,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Just four weeks after dropping a half-length decision in this year’s Sprint, Secret Circle will face eight challengers in the Cigar Mile. Trained by Bob Baffert, the 5-year-old will leave from post 6 with Joel Rosario in the saddle and is the 2-1 morning line favorite.

Secret Circle, owned by Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman, just missed repeating his 2013 Sprint victory on Nov. 1 when he finished a half- length behind Work All Week at Santa Anita. The horse has just three starts this season coming into Saturday’s race. He was second in the Palos Verdes at Santa Anita in February and did not start again until getting third in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship in October.

Secret Circle has seven career wins from 12 starts for $2,224,790.

Woodward Stakes winner Itsmyluckyday, 4-1 in the program, will break from post 2 in the nine-horse field with Paco Lopez again riding. Trained by Eddie Plesa, the 4-year-old colt won the Woodward at Saratoga three months ago when he registered a half-length victory over Whitney champ Moreno. The colt had been second in the Whitney.

“He came out a little bit tired, but soundness-wise he was fine,” Plesa said about his colt’s recent third in Belmont Park’s Kelso. “We decided to bypass the Breeders’ Cup, and point to the (Cigar Mile) instead. I think his performance in the Kelso was a combination of factors. (The Whitney and Woodward) took a toll on him physically, and he was put in a position between horses (in the Kelso) and was bounced around. Everyone expected him to win, but that’s why they call it horse racing.”

Owned by Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa, Itsmyluckyday has banked $1,702,600 from 20 career starts with nine wins.

Here is the Cigar Mile field from the rail out: Private Zone, Martin Pedroza, 3-1; Itsmyluckyday, Paco Lopez, 4-1; Noble Moon, Jose Ortiz, 20-1; Vyjack, Irad Ortiz Jr., 8-1; Transparent, Javier Castellano, 6-1; Secret Circle, Joel Rosario, 2-1; Big Business, Cornelio Velasquez, 20-1; Regally Ready, John Velazquez, 15-1 and Bourbon Courage, Jose Lezcano, 12-1.

Post time for the Cigar Mile will be approximatley 4:17 p.m. ET.

Categorized in: Horses