It was a front-runner’s paradise at Aqueduct on Saturday, with gate-to-wire glory and a mild upset in the feature G2 2023 Cigar Mile for Hoist The Gold and in the G3 Go For Wand for Dr B, who was repeating her victory in last year’s race.
Cigar Mile Handicap – G2 – purse $500,000 – 1m – dirt – 3yo+
Gold’s time to shine
The track bias towards front-runners at Aqueduct on Saturday paid dividends for Hoist The Gold, who caused a mild upset in the feature Cigar Mile when going coast-to-coast to slam Senor Buscador and longshot Castle Chaos.
The 8-1 sixth-choice was stretching back out after missing the board in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and John Velazquez got the tactics just right, sending Hoist The Gold swiftly to the lead and setting sharp fractions.
That was the ballgame. At the top of the lane Hoist The Gold quickened off that fast pace and blew the race apart, surging clear and maintaining the gallop for a romping score by four and a half lengths. The second-choice Senor Buscador rallied from way, way back for the place but never had a prayer with the winner, although clear second-best ahead of 32-1 shot Castle Chaos. The favored Everso Mischievous was never sighted, 11th of 12.
2023 Cigar Mile Race Video
@horseracingtote Hoist The Gold wins the Cigar Mile #Horseracing #Horseracingtips #Horsesoftiktok #Horsetok #Horses #FYP #Sports
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“At the eighth pole he kicked in another gear and that is the sign of a good horse,” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “Johnny rode him the way he wanted and he was 100 percent right.”
His share of the purse made Hoist The Gold a millionaire, with this his second success at G2 level following the Phoenix at Keeneland in October.
2023 Cigar Mile race payouts
| Horse | Win | Place | Show |
| 1. Hoist The Gold | $19.40 | $7.10 | $5.70 |
| 2. Senor Buscador | $4.90 | $3.60 | |
| 3. Castle Chaos | $12.00 |
Winning time: 1m 34.28s
Go For Wand Stakes – G3 – purse $200,000 – 1m – dirt – 3yo+ females
Dr B repeats the dose
Same again, Dr B. Just as she had done last year, the mare led every step of the way to land the Go For Wand, coming home a comfortable winner from Tizzy In The Sky and Venti Valentine.
Despite her previous achievement and with a track set-up that played into her hands, Dr B was a 4-1 fourth-choice of five, but she became the third horse of the afternoon to make all the running in a Graded stakes, lacing through swift fractions under Jose Lezcano – 45s flat for the half-mile.
2023 Go For Wand Stakes Race Video
@horseracingtote Dr B wins the Go For Wand Stakes #Horseracing #Horseracingtips #Horsesoftiktok #Horsetok #Horses #FYP #Sports
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She put away the persistent Gerrymander at the top of the stretch, flicked into overdrive, and pulled easily away from her rivals, getting the job done again by three and three-quarter lengths. There was a length between the board horses, but the favored Good Sam faded to fourth and was found to have bled.
“We gave her a break and she came back fresh,” said trainer Robert Reid. “She’s just been an iron horse from the day we got her.”
2023 Go For Wand Stakes race payouts
| Horse | Win | Place | Show |
| 1. Dr B | $10.40 | $4.50 | $3.00 |
| 2. Tizzy In The Sky | $3.70 | $2.70 | |
| 3. Venti Valentine | $3.50 |
Winning time: 1m 36.49s
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