Law Professor team might opt for easier path than Cigar Mile

John Holleman’s graded stakes-winner Law Professor is one of five millionaires entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Owned by John Holleman and trained by Rob Atras, the 6-year-old Constitution gelding has banked $1.07 million through a 24: 9-2-3 record. He is joined in the one-turn mile handicap for 3-year-olds and up by fellow millionaires Señor Buscador, Post Time, Coastal Mission and Book'em Danno.

However, the stacked field, which includes four Grade 1 winners among 11 entries, has the connections considering re-routing Law Professor to a title defense of the nine-furlong listed Queens County on Dec. 29 at Aqueduct.

“The race came up a little tougher than I was anticipating, and every week I was hearing about another contender. So, we’re on the fence of scratching and waiting for the next race, the Queens County,” Atras said. “It (the Cigar Mile) has horses that are fast sprinters stretching out. It's going to be a fast pace, and I don’t think they’re going to come back. I’m thinking it might put our horse out of his game a little bit, sitting close just off the pace but well within himself.”

Atras said he will discuss options with the connections ahead of Saturday’s test and make a final decision.

Law Professor has proven successful at a one-turn mile at Aqueduct, including a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for a Feb. 23 optional-claiming score. But Atras believes the gelding is more effective against graded company when stretched out to nine furlongs as he was in a 1 1/4-length second to Life Is Good in the 2022 Woodward (G1) at Aqueduct.

“The Queens County is a good pot, $150,000, and I think we’ll be one of the top two or three contenders,” Atras said. “That race (Feb. 23) was a much different setup. We were involved in the race early, and we’re sitting just off decent (but not excessively fast) fractions.”

Law Professor launched his career with trainer Michael McCarthy topped by a victory in the off-the-turf 2021 Mathis Mile (G2) at Santa Anita. He then made 12 starts for Atras from September 2022 through Feb. 23 that included listed wins in the restricted Tapit at Kentucky Downs in September 2022, the Queens County at Aqueduct last January and the local listed Excelsior last April.

The talented dark bay sold for $230,000 at the Fasig-Tipton March digital sale and made one start for trainer Wade Rarick when seventh in the Lake Ouachita in May at Oaklawn Park before returning to the Atras barn.

Law Professor was under consideration for both the Woodward (G2) and Vosburgh (G3) at Aqueduct in late September, but Atras gave the gelding time and he responded with a hard-fought nose score over well-regarded Bendoog in a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt on Oct. 25 at Aqueduct. He earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form for the effort, and the third-place finisher, Tabeguache, came back to win a well-rated optional-claiming mile at the Big A.

“He’s had some behavioral problems in the morning, which we have mostly ironed out right now. But we were having trouble getting his breezes in order, and we were a little worried about fitness,” Atras said. “But his last three works going into that last race were good, and everything was setting up nice. I’d like to do that again before we put him in the box again.”

Law Professor has breezed back four times over the Belmont dirt training track, including a half-mile in 50.86 on Nov. 30.

Kendrick Carmouche is named Saturday from post 6 with Law Professor assessed at 15-1 on the morning line. Carmouche captured this event in 2020 when it was a Grade 1 with 7-1 shot True Timber.