Cigar

[KirisClown]

Originally Posted by jpops757

If they would have known about his fertility problem, would they kept him in training and raced him 3-4 times a year in the top races?

Only if they wanted him to continually lose...

Just a quick glance at the top races of 1997, I think Cigar would have had a very rough time of it.

[Charismatic1]

Originally Posted by KirisClown

Only if they wanted him to continually lose...

Just a quick glance at the top races of 1997, I think Cigar would have had a very rough time of it.

Or his opponents may have had a very tough time with him. Sure, he lost a couple races in '96, but he SHOULD have won the Classic had he not been 6-7 wide around both turns. He still only lost by a head or neck. That's the case of Bailey riding like he knew he had the best horse a little too much. He might've been clearly the best horse, but anyone's going to have trouble winning the Classic at 10 furlongs running 12 furlongs.

[KirisClown]

Originally Posted by Charismatic1

Or his opponents may have had a very tough time with him. Sure, he lost a couple races in '96, but he SHOULD have won the Classic had he not been 6-7 wide around both turns. He still only lost by a head or neck. That's the case of Bailey riding like he knew he had the best horse a little too much. He might've been clearly the best horse, but anyone's going to have trouble winning the Classic at 10 furlongs running 12 furlongs.

It's all speculation, but for Cigar to return as a 7yr old... and have to face the likes of Formal Gold, Skip Away, Wills Way etc on the east coast.. or Siphon and Gentlemen on the west coast.. it would probably have been a little too much for him at that advanced stage in his career...