Favorite El Corredor runs race of lifetime to win Cigar Mile Handicap

Even though Fusaichi Pegasus came up short in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), his prior win in the September 23 Jerome Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park came in a race not to be dismissed. Finishing three-quarters of a length behind the Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and ahead of eventual Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Albert the Great was Hal Earnhardt's El Corredor in an impressive performance.

Cigar Mile H. (G1)
Aqueduct, November 25, $350,000, 1 mile, fast, 1:34.68
1-EL CORREDOR, c. 3, Mr. Greeley-Silvery Swan, by Silver Deputy.
2-Peeping Tom, c. 3, Eagle Eyed-Artful Pleasure, by Nasty and Bold.
3-Affirmed Success, g. 6, Affirmed-Towering Success, by Irish Tower.

After that race, El Corredor, a three-year-old son of Mr. Greeley who had won the Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) on September 3, developed a quarter crack, not dissimilar from the quarter crack stablemate River Keen suffered last year. For trainer Bob Baffert, River Keen came back to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup; his El Corredor came back for the performance of his life in this year's final Grade 1 race in New York.

Digging in to hold off 46.25-to-1 longshot Peeping Tom, El Corredor scored his fifth win in seven starts to take the $350,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct on November 25.

Stalking the early pace set by Left Bank and Forty One Carats, who vied through fractions of :23.14, :45.95, and 1:10.07, El Corredor swept four wide on the turn and took command in midstretch. He held off the late run from Peeping Tom for the 1 3/4-length win in 1:34.68.

"I figured the pace up front would be sufficient for El Corredor, and the outside draw really helped us," said rider Jerry Bailey, whose mount was the 2.40-to-1 favorite of the crowd of 6,955. "He was really on the muscle today and turned in a super effort. I saw the horse on the outside (Peeping Tom) charge at us, but I knew I had enough horse left. This colt really finishes up with a strong run."

After the Jerome, Tonja Terranova, Baffert's New York assistant, enlisted farrier Ian McKinlay to patch El Corredor's affected hoof. McKinlay also worked on River Keen in 1999.

"Tonja has really been positive for this horse. There is no question that she deserves most of the accolades for this horse," Earnhardt said. "This is the most I ever paid for a colt ($110,000). We got him on the second day of the (1998) Keeneland September yearling sale, and he was one of the last to go that day. I've always been patient with Bob (Baffert). We've been together since he was training Quarter Horses."

Produced by the Silver Deputy mare Silvery Swan, El Corredor earned $210,000 for the Cigar Mile victory to increase his career bankroll to $487,920.

El Corredor faced three horses who had competed in the Breeders' Cup-and not as longshots. Affirmed Success, the 1999 Cigar Mile winner, missed in his third try at the Breeders' Cup in this year's Breeders' Cup Mile (G1); Golden Missile was last in the Classic; and More Than Ready was fifth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

In the Cigar Mile, their hoped-for rebound did not take place. Affirmed Success, stifled throughout, finally found room at the rail to finish third, while More Than Ready was fourth with a good finish outside. Pimlico Special Handicap (G1) winner Golden Missile was eighth after tiring in the stretch.

"He was completely blocked from the quarter pole to the sixteenth pole," said Affirmed Success's trainer, Richard Schosberg. "Honestly, if he gets a clear trip, there is no way he loses this race. He had to alter course twice in the stretch. I don't make excuses and I don't feel bad for myself or anyone else, but I feel bad for this horse and the trip he got in the stretch."

Trainer Patrick Reynolds was delighted at the performance of Peeping Tom, a three-year-old gelding by Eagle Eyed.

"He's maturing very well," Reynolds said. "We gelded him, and I think he's been a lot happier ever since. It looked like he was going to run by them all.

It was still a pleasant surprise. This is unquestionably my biggest race as a trainer. I don't know what we'll do next with him. We'll see how he is."

More Than Ready, who finished just ahead of stablemate Left Bank, did not handle the track well, according to trainer Todd Pletcher.

"It took him a good quarter of a mile to get him settled," Pletcher said. "He would have to turn in a huge effort to catch (El Corredor) in the stretch.

Pat (Day) said he was running but he just leveled off."

Remsen winner boosts value

Owner and trainer Frank Alexander's sprinter Windsor Castle turned into something more when he rallied for a 2 1/2-length victory over Ommadon in the $200,000 Remsen Stakes (G2) for two-year-olds at nine furlongs on November 25.

Remsen S. (G2)
Aqueduct, November 25, $200,000, 11/8 miles, fast, 1:51.92
1-WINDSOR CASTLE, c. 2, Lord Carson-Frigidette, by It's Freezing.
2-Ommadon, c. 2, Grindstone-Missymooiloveyou, by Turkoman.
3-Buckle Down Ben, c. 2, Devil His Due-Flying Hill, by Flying Paster.

The Lord Carson colt fell as much as six lengths behind the pacesetting Ommadon, who set fractions of :23.81, :48.40, 1:13.84, and 1:39.23, then rallied wide under jockey Robbie Davis to win in 1:51.92.

"I had the horse sold last week, but the vet turned him down," said Alexander, who saddled Windsor Castle in his previous start when he finished second to Ommadon in the one-mile Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct on November 5.

"There was a little ankle chip, not a big problem, and it didn't amount to anything. He's a good mover with a nice stride. I thought he would be more of a sprinter type, but he's proven me wrong. If the race (Nashua) was a mile and a sixteenth last time, I think he would have won."

Alexander said Windsor Castle, who was third betting choice at 7-to-1, is still for sale.

Easing Along, the previously undefeated Storm Cat colt who was sent off as the favorite at 1.30-to-1, finished last in the field of eight.

"Nothing went right for him out there today," said trainer Shug McGaughey. "He got a clean trip going to the first turn. Later on, he hung to the outside.

Maybe he got a little excited. He was just misplaced. Nothing went right after that."

Buckle Down Ben was third and was followed by Airy Hill, Griffinite, Muskrat Ramble, The Missing Key, and Easing Along. Dayton Flyer was scratched.

Two Item Limit's Demoiselle

In the $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) on November 25, Illinois-bred Two Item Limit emerged as a potential star when she scored a seven-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile race for two-year-old fillies in her ninth start.

Demoiselle S. (G2)
Aqueduct, November 25, $200,000, 11/8 miles, fast, 1:52.25
1-TWO ITEM LIMIT, f. 2, Twining-Spa Warning, by Caveat.
2-Sweep Dreams, f. 2, Mt. Livermore-Danseuse, by Mr. Prospector.
3-Kingsland, f. 2, Mr. Prospector-Fit for a Queen, by Fit to Fight.

"Overall, I was concerned about distance and weight, but she did everything right today," said trainer Stephen DiMauro, who trains Two Item Limit for owner Joseph Graffeo. "She really has matured; whether it is the blinkers or (jockey) Richie (Migliore), I don't know. Her last few have been very impressive. I usually don't like to run two-year-olds as often as this, but she is doing so well, she forced me to keep going. Any time I would think she was getting too tired, I would have stopped on her."

Two Item Limit, a daughter of Twining who won the Tempted Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct on November 5, relaxed off fractions of :24.09, :48.69, and 1:13.82 that were set by Kingsland and Sweep Dreams, then rallied three wide to draw away to win in 1:52.25.

"You can place her where you want and she'll get you out of trouble if she has to," said Migliore. "At the top of the stretch, Johnny (Velazquez on Celtic Melody) eased to the outside and that gave me enough room to tip out. When we took the lead, she raised her head and I thought she was going to loaf. That's why I got into her."

Sweep Dreams beat Kingsland by a neck for second. My Lady Avie, Dream Wish, 2.35-to-1 favorite Celtic Melody, Kamaal, and Company Storm trailed.

Jimmy Jerkens, who trains Celtic Melody, said, "She got cut up behind. We'll probably turn her out for a while."

DiMauro said Two Item Limit might start in the Illinois Breeders' Debutante Stakes at Hawthorne Race Course on December 16, but he might wait until the Gulfstream Park meeting to race her again.

Top Flight for Reciclada

Reciclada (Chi), sent off the 1.05-to-1 favorite, held off a late burst from Country Hideaway to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the $150,000 Top Flight Handicap (G2) on November 24.

Top Flight H. (G2)
Aqueduct, November 24, $150,000, 1 mile, fast, 1:35.54
1-RECICLADA (CHI), m. 5, Rictorious-=Exing (Chi), by Exceller.
2-Country Hideaway, f. 4, Seeking the Gold-Our Country Place, by Pleasant Colony.
3-Critical Eye, f. 3, Dynaformer-Critical Crew, by Dr. Blum.

Racing for Diamond A Stable, the five-year-old Rictorious mare rated behind fractions set by Go to the Ink of :23.24, :45.96, and 1:10.21, then cruised to the lead and hit the wire in 1:35.54 under Bailey. She earned her ninth win in 21 starts, and increased her career earnings to $384,474.

"It looked like Jerry (Bailey) had good control of it," said trainer Richard Mandella from California, where he watched the race. "I was happy with where she was sitting. As big as she ran last time (second by a head to Chilukki in the Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap [G2] on November 4), I was hoping she didn't leave her race at Churchill."

Critical Eye was third, followed by Go to the Ink, Biogio's Rose, Tropical Punch, Too Too Divine, and Forever Cindy.

Kashatreya a winner again

Seymour Cohn's homebred Kashatreya snapped a four-race losing streak when he burst through on the inside and ran off to a three-quarter length victory over Exciting Story in the $111,900 Fall Highweight Handicap (G2) on Thanksgiving day. A six-year-old gelded son of Daring Groom, the New York-bred carried 131 pounds, receiving seven pounds from highweight Brutally Frank.

Fall Highweight H. (G2)
Aqueduct, November 23, $111,900, 6 furlongs, fast, 1:11.03
1-KASHATREYA, g. 6, Daring Groom-Douce Carotte, by Caro (Ire).
2-Exciting Story, c. 3, Diablo-Appealing Story, by Valid Appeal.
3-Oro de Mexico, g. 6, Well Decorated-Emma's Gold, by Fast Gold.

Favorite Late Carson, at 1.05-to-1, battled for the early lead with English import Mister Tricky (GB) through fractions of :22.38 and :45.94. Late Carson gained the lead at the quarter pole, then Kashatreya found racing room and prevailed in 1:11.03.

"I knew he would run good today," said trainer John Hertler, whose charge accounted for his ninth victory in 34 starts. "The pace set up for him." Oro de Mexico, Pooska Hill, Late Carson, Brutally Frank, Brushed On, and Mister Tricky completed the order of finish.