Cigar: Larger Than Life

Then along came a horse. No—not Limerick, not yet. But this horse was also a bay, with white on his face and one eye ringed with white. It was February of 1995 and in a race expected to be a breeze for the 1994 Horse of the Year, Holy Bull, a torch was instead passed to this bay horse, Cigar. In what would become his familiar style--easy yet full of straightforward power--that day Cigar captured the Donn Handicap (Gr. I), as well as my heart.

I confess I remember very little of 1995 aside from Cigar. He plucked me from the stress of reality and carried me along with him as he won race after race. I came to know his silhouette, his thick mane, his gray-streaked tail, his charismatic white-ringed eye, his beautiful arched neck and balanced conformation. Was there ever a horse more handsome than the mighty Cigar? I didn't think so and although I was only 14, 15 years old, I doubted many would argue with me.

The year cumulated with his phenomenal win in the 1995 Breeder's Cup Classic (Gr. I). Typically uncaring of the closed captioning during horse races, I watched the words roll across the screen as they transcribed Tom Durkin's call of the Classic. I held my breath as Cigar strained against the confines of his bridle on the backstretch. Wet track or not, the horse was ready to explode! Cigar wants to go to the lead, and Jerry Bailey says no, not yet! Then without fanfare, Cigar glided to the lead on the final turn and skipped over the Belmont Park mud with businesslike precision--nothing was stopping him now--and here he is, the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!