Cigar Mile: Odds and analysis for last go-round at Aqueduct

The Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Saturday, which is the final graded stakes of the year on the NYRA circuit, drew a field of seven. It is the last of six stakes races on the card that come with $2.25 million in purse money. This will be the final time that this race, originally known as the NYRA Mile, will be run at Aqueduct as winter racing will move next year to the newly renovated Belmont Park.

For the great Thoroughbred Cigar, the NYRA Mile was the second victory in his historic 16-race winning streak from 1994 to 1996. The two-time horse of the year ended his career with a record of 33: 19-5-4 and $9.999 million in earnings.

Here is a full-field analysis with the morning-line odds for the Cigar Mile from Brian Zipse of Horse Racing Nation. It is set as race 10 on an 11-race card with post time scheduled for 3:37 p.m. EST.

1. Doc Sullivan, 8-1. Solomini – John Ortiz / Ricardo Santana Jr. – 19: 6-6-2 - $657,840. Doc Sullivan is a three-time winner of New York-bred stakes. He tried graded stakes three times in his career, and his best results were a pair of fourth-place finishes this year in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga and the Vosburgh (G3) at Aqueduct. Last seen he won a state-bred stakes by more than five lengths on a sloppy and sealed track going seven furlongs. Toss.

2. Mika, 12-1. Catholic Boy – Mike Maker / Manny Franco – 7: 3-0-0 - $114,664. Mika moved from turf to dirt in May and registered two open-length, front-end victories. The 3-year-old won an allowance at Delaware Park by more than nine lengths and then came back from a five-month layoff to win an allowance at Laurel Park by more than 14 lengths. He ran in a stakes at Kentucky Downs last year on the turf and was not competitive. Manny Franco gets the mount as Mika makes his first start since moving back to Mike Maker from Brittany Russell. Live long shot.

3. Pentathlon, 10-1. Speightstown – Shug McGaughey / Junior Alvarado – 14: 3-1-3 - $241,352. Pentathalon is a two-time allowance winner this year with stalking trips. One was at Saratoga on a wet track in June and the other was in October at Aqueduct in his most recent race as the even-money favorite. Toss.

4. Crazy Mason, 7-2. Coal Front – Gregg Sacco / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 17: 5-3-4 - $524,470. Crazy Mason rallied from last in an eight-horse field to finish second in the Vosburgh. The Big A is the preferred track of this 4-year-old and is where he recorded three of his five career victories. He won the Carter (G2) in April going seven furlongs and a pair of allowances. The son of Coal Front finished third two times behind Book’em Danno, who will be a finalist for this year’s Eclipse Award as top sprinter. Although he is a past winner at a mile, this will be his first in a one-turn format, which he should appreciate. Top pick.

5. Brazenly, 20-1. Grazen – Chris Englehart / John Velazquez – 39: 4-9-9 - $292,582. Brazenly is a 7-year-old veteran of allowance races, from which he has two of his victories. He made all but one of his starts on the West Coast with races at Northern and Southern California tracks. He had three starts for trainer Will Walden this year and this will be his first race since moving to Chris Englehart. Brazenly last found the winner’s circle in August 2024, and the Cigar Mile will be his first try in any kind of stakes race. Toss.

6. Phileas Fogg, 2-1. Astern – Gustavo Rodriguez / Joel Rosario – 20: 9-5-0 - $796,773. Phileas Fogg will cut back in distance to the mile from a series of two-turn graded stakes at longer distances. With front-end efforts, he was second in the Woodward (G2) behind Locked, third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and the winner of the Suburban (G2) at Saratoga in June. He comes back after a two-month layoff and did well after this kind of break in the past. Blinkers go on for the first time as does jockey Joel Rosario. Win contender.

7. Bishops Bay, 8-5. Uncle Mo – Brad Cox / Flavien Prat – 12: 8-3-0 - $702,800. Bishops Bay last was seen winning the one-mile Forty Niner (G3) after pressing the early pace and taking control of the race at the top of the stretch. The Brad Cox runner won five of six races in 2025, including the one-turn Westchester (G3) at Aqueduct and the Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park. Bishops Bay’s winning ways were interrupted by a sixth-place finish in the Forego when he was 9-1 instead of his usual position as favorite. Win contender.

Summary: The 2025 Cigar Mile features three graded-stakes winners in Crazy Mason, Phileas Fogg and Bishops Bay. Bishops Bay and Phileas Fogg have similar records with eight and nine victories, respectively, and career earnings of more than $700,000. Those two prefer to race on or just behind the lead and have plenty of experience at longer distances. They are likely to be joined on the front end by Mika, who has those open-length victories in his last two starts.

Crazy Mason should get a favorable pace scenario with Phileas Fogg, Bishops Bay and Mika battling on the front end. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be back in town on Saturday and gets the mount on the Greg Sacco runner. I expect the late-running sprinter to use the added distance to his advantage. Crazy Mason is the top pick.