Who remembers Cigar from the '90's?

Question

What was it that stopped Cigar from racing? Was it in injury? Last I remember he went to stud but was then labled Cigar the Dud in breeding and the owners collected insurance money on him for lack of ability to breed. Is he still alive I wonder?

Answer 1

cigar had won 15 races in a row and needed 1 more to tie the great citation record of 16 races. so a track on the east coast made up a race so he could come out west with at least a tie of the record, because they new the west coast would have a trick bag for him. so he wins that citation challenge race, and comes out west with a record tying 16 in a row, and he hooked up with a speed demon named siphon...they went fractions that sprinters don't even run. when they came to the top of the stretch, cigar had put away siphon, but siphon trainer Richard Mandela had a second horse, named dare and go, with Alex Solis in the saddle and he went right on by to win the race, cigar ran a very game second. in his last 4 races he lost 3...but i knew he would never be the same after his journey to the west coast. i don't think siphon or dare and go ever won a race again after tag teaming the great cigar...he is still alive and well in Kentucky with the great john Henry....

Answer 2

I loved Cigar.

He lost three of his last four races after an amazing 16 race winning streak, and he was six years old when he was retired, after the 1996 Breeders Cup, so they were probably right in retiring him. He certainly could have kept racing and won plenty of more money (he was only a few hundred dollars short of winning ten million for his career, which is still a record), but he wasn't at the same top level.

He turned out to be sterile at stud. He is still alive and well with John Henry at Kentucky Horse Park.

Answer 3

Cigar is at the Kentucky Horse Park.  From the Park website:  "The excitement of the racetrack and showring is brought to life by the elite group of champion horses that reside at the park’s Hall of Champions. Here, Thoroughbred legends John Henry and Cigar, champion American Saddlebred CH Gypsy Supreme, and Standardbred Pacers Western Dreamer and Staying Together are shown in daily presentations. March 15 - October 31"

Cigar didn't have any particular injury that I remember, but he was at the point in his racing career where he had nothing left to prove and his owner, Alan Paulson, wanted to retire him to stud.

As you said, Cigar proved to be sterile, and his owners collected $25 million from the insurance company that had insured his fertility.  The company took possession of Cigar and agreed to allow him to be put on display at the Kentucky Horse Park.

I saw Cigar race in the Pacific Classic (Gr. 1) on August 10, 1996, the race that ended his 16-race win streak.  He was an awesome-looking horse and certainly a champion to be reckoned with.  I'm sorry that he turned out to be sterile, but I have a hunch that he wouldn't have been a success as a sire.  His sire, Palace Music, never sired anything else even in the same ballpark with Cigar with regards to talent, and his dam, Solar Slew, didn't produce anything near as good, either.  Cigar as a racehorse was not precocious and I don't think he had the kind of brilliance at a mile to sire the kinds of horses the American market wants.  I have a hunch that Cigar would have ended up like Spectactular Bid-- ultimately a failure as a sire.

Horse Park website:  http://www.kyhorsepark.com/index.php

Answer 4

here's a link to read all about Cigar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigar_(hors...

He was one of the most stiking looking horses I ever saw when he hit the track! He was "it" and he knew it. It took Bill Mott and Jerry Bailey to really bring out the best in Cigar.

I've seen him several times at the Kentucky Horse Park, and he looks absolutely great! If you go to the Wikipedia site (the link I included) you can see fairly recent pictures of him.

Answer 5

I can't remember why he stopped racing,but he had an incredible record.He is in the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.He is still beautiful! There is a book all about him and it is a real enjoyable read.It's called "Cigar"America's Horse and it is written by Jay Hovdey.

Answer 6

I remember him.  He retired as the winningest horse in racing.  I think he raced until he was at least 7, so I'm sure it was age that forced him into retirement.