This time, Private Zone Wins the Cigar Mile

 

In 2014, at Aqueduct Private Zone had everything go his way and the son of Macho Uno was able to win the Cigar Mile, after finishing second last year. Breaking from the number one post position was all that regular rider Martin Pedroza needed on a race track that had been favoring front runners all day long.

Pedroza hustled Private Zone right out of the starting gate and was able to very quickly open a length and a half lead aided by an awkward start by second place finisher Secret Circle. The fractions were very fast and Private Zone was on the rail, which had been the best part of the track. The first quarter went in :22.18 and after a half-mile in :44.18 he had increased his lead. As the horses turned for home with six furlongs in 1:08.34, it was clear that today Private Zone was not going to be caught.

Last year in the Cigar Mile, Private Zone was put on the lead with slower fractions, but on that day he tired and was easily passed by Flat Out. That wasn’t going to happen on today’s Aqueduct main track where all four of the graded stakes races were won by horses on the lead. Secret Circle, who was sent off as the 5-2 betting favorite, ran second for most of the race, and ended up beaten by five lengths in a final time of 1:34.39.

After the race Private Zone’s trainer Alfredo Velazquez said, "The fractions didn't bother me because he was doing it easy. When I saw :44 [for the half], I said, 'They're going to have to come and get him.' [The break] was very important because of the track. Everything inside today was running."

Jockey Pedroza added, "Unbelievable performance, I was expecting him to run good but not that good. I was able to get all the speed at once at the break.”

As the winner of the grade one Vosburgh in September at Belmont Park Private Zone was running for an extra $250,000 of purse money on top of the $500,000 base. Thus the win added another $450,000 to his career earnings. Private Zone ran his first nine races in Panama and he didn’t win a race in America until his 18^th career start in September of 2013. His stats now stand at 25: 7-7-2 for $1,521,820.