The 37th and final Cigar Mile Handicap to be contested at Aqueduct drew a field of seven colts and geldings, headlined by two highly competitive 5-year-olds, Bishops Bay and Phileas Fogg. With similar early speed running styles, Bishops Bay and Phileas Fogg will meet for the first time after drawing outside posts.
Originally known as the NYRA Mile, this race was renamed in 1997 in honor of Cigar, who dominated by seven lengths in 1994 and was named Horse of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. Here’s a look at the Grade 2 Cigar Mile field from the rail out.
Doc Sullivan, the lone New York-bred entered, drew the rail post and is fresh off a 5 ½ length victory in the New York Stallion Series Stakes on a sloppy Aqueduct track on Nov. 22. Mika, the lone 3-year-old in the field, will be making his first start after the trainer switch back to Mike Maker and has won his last two starts by a combined 23 ½ lengths. Pentathlon earned a career-best 102 Equibase Speed Figure for his 3 ¼ length victory last time out at the allowance optional claiming level going one mile over this track. Crazy Mason will be making his sixth consecutive graded stakes start for trainer Gregory Sacco with red-hot jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. getting the mount for the first time. The seasoned veteran of the group, Brazenly, will be making just his third start outside of the state of California in his 40th career race, and at the age of 7 earned a career-best 107 Equibase figure last time out. Morning-line favorite Phileas Fogg drew post 6 and narrowly missed by three quarters of a length last time out in the Woodward Stakes behind 2024 Cigar Mile winner Locked. Bishops Bay drew the far outside post and will be making his fifth consecutive graded stakes start for trainer Brad Cox.
Analysis and Main Contenders:
The consistency of Bishops Bay is hard to overlook. He has posted eight wins and a third from 12 career starts, with half of those coming in graded stakes company. The son of Uncle Mo showed talent immediately, breaking his maiden by three quarters of a length on debut as a 3-year-old over First Mission, who became a multiple graded stakes winner. Bishops Bay completed his 3-year-old season with two runner-up finishes in the Peter Pan Stakes and Ohio Derby before a layoff of just over 17 months. Bishops Bay resurfaced last November and won an allowance optional claiming race at Horseshoe Indianapolis, but he has truly come into his own this year as a 5-year-old. After a runner-up finish in January, he reeled off four straight victories, including the American Pharoah Overnight Stakes, the Westchester Stakes and then a dominant five-length score in the Salvator Mile Stakes in June, earning a career best 111 Equibase Speed Figure. Notably, all four consecutive wins came with Flavien Prat aboard. In August, Bishops Bay stepped up to Grade 1 company and finished sixth by 4 ¼ lengths behind Book’em Danno in the Forego Stakes while piloted by Irad Ortiz, with Cigar Mile contender Crazy Mason finishing third. Last time out at Belmont at the Big A on Nov. 2, Bishops Bay stalked the pace, took over at the quarter pole and went on to win the Forty Niner Stakes at this same mile distance with Prat back in the saddle. Prat has never lost on Bishops Bay, going a perfect 5-for-5 together. Beyond that partnership success, Prat and trainer Brad Cox have been remarkably effective on the NYRA circuit over the last three years, winning at 43% with 30 wins from 70 starts, hitting the board at 74% and producing a positive 32% return on investment. Bishops Bay ranks first in this field with an average Equibase Speed Figure of 105 and is tied for first by average class with a 108. He is also undefeated from two starts at Aqueduct and is 3-for-3 at this mile distance on the dirt. In multi-race bets, Bishops Bay shapes up as a reliable single, especially with added value if he goes off as the second post-time choice behind Phileas Fogg.
Considering the amount of early speed in this year’s Cigar Mile, Crazy Mason is one who could benefit greatly from a closing trip. The Coal Front colt has put together a strong 4-year-old campaign in 2025, opening the season with three straight wins at Aqueduct, including a victory in the Carter Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets where he earned a 107 Equibase figure. He followed that streak with a third-place finish behind Book’em Danno and Mullikin in the True North Stakes over a sloppy Saratoga track in June before shipping west for his first Grade 1 attempt in the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar, where he finished sixth by 5 ¾ lengths. Then, Crazy Mason shipped back to New York and delivered a terrific performance in the Forego Stakes in August, finishing third to Book’em Danno by just 1 ¾ lengths despite hitting the starting gate and breaking dead last. In his most recent start in September, he again broke last but finished powerfully, rallying up the rail and gaining with every stride to finish second in the Vosburgh Stakes Presented by Army Mule at Belmont at the Big A. Crazy Mason is tied with Bishops Bay for first in average class at 108 and has every chance to make an impact late behind a presumably strong pace. Irad Ortiz Jr. climbs aboard for the first time, which is significant given the form he has been in, leading all North American jockeys by wins and earnings in 2025. Over the last 10 days, Ortiz Jr. has won at a tremendous 43% in stakes races with six wins from 14 mounts and 79% in-the-money finishes. With Bishops Bay in the field, the winner’s circle will not be easy to find Saturday, but based on his recent efforts and the expected pace scenario, Crazy Mason has a very strong chance to hit the board on Saturday.
Phileas Fogg has been another steady force of consistency in this field, showcasing a career defined by reliability with nine wins and five seconds from 20 starts. Like Bishops Bay, he has only improved with age. Since being claimed for $62,500 by Jupiter Stable in August of 2024, Phileas Fogg has missed the board just once from nine starts for the Gustavo Rodriguez barn, and even that came when he crossed the line in third in theJockey Club Gold Cup Stakes before being disqualified to seventh. The last time Phileas Fogg ran at this mile distance, he drew off to win by 3 ¾ lengths in an allowance optional claiming race in his first start after the claim in September of last year. He has not raced shorter than 1 1/8 miles since, winning two listed stakes by a combined 13 ¼ lengths and adding a frontrunning victory in the Suburban Stakes Presented by Subourbon. Most recently, he was caught late by Locked in the Woodward Stakes after dictating the pace throughout. This slight turnback in the Cigar Mile could be exactly what he needs, though securing a clear early lead may prove difficult with a projected fast pace from runners to his inside and outside. Even so, given his consistency and strong form in tough graded stakes company, it is hard to envision a scenario where Phileas Fogg does not factor heavily on Saturday.
The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races, is Doc Sullivan (108), Mika (108), Pentathlon (102), and Brazenly (107).
Win Contenders in Preference Order:
Bishops Bay
Crazy Mason
Phileas Fogg
