I will never forget being there that day. There will never be another Cigar the way the breed is going now. He was an amazing horse and one of the greatest ever. A true warrior.

Truly an all-time great, too often forgotten by the media when they make lists of the greatest thoroughbreds.

While Cigar does not get credit for a Grade I win here, this is absolutely a Grade I quality field. Great performance from Cigar.

How often do you see a racetrack create a Grade I stakes race on the fly for a single horse? That should give you an idea of just how big Cigar was in his day.

1:48 1/5....130 lbs.....outside post going wide both turns. Today's horses can't do that.

I was six years old and my parents took me to my first ever racetrack and it was amazing seeing Cigar in person and of course seeing him win. I miss having the Breeder's Cup in Arlington it truly is a beautiful track and facility.

We will never forget Cigar (April 18, 1990 - October 7, 2014): 19 wins (16 consecutive), 4 second places and 5 third places in 33 starts and US$ 9,999,815 earned. He was America´s top money earner until 2008, when Curlin surpassed him with US$ 10,501,800. And in 2016 California Chrome set a new record in 2016 earning a total U.S.$ 14,752,650. Without a doubt, one of the greatest racehorse in history. Greetings from Venezuela.

Greatness....Nuff Said....

One hell of a horse

He won a record total of $9.9 Million in purses. How sad he was sterile.

Came back to watch this race again. I remember when Cigar retired, I said we would never see another non-gelded male like him again. Then came California Chrome. I LOVE tough competitors with heart and owners that are not afraid to race them. They both had it. One other thing they both had in common; Seattle Slew in the pedigree. I hope Chrome destroys them in Japan and makes American breeders regret ever letting him go. They didn’t even let his first crop hit the track.

Great win win - 130 lbs. going 5 wide then 4 wide then 3 wide the entire race. Shame on racetrack with 10 horse field and no place or show betting.

In this race as in most during the streak, Mott was not particularly concerned by one horse but rather whether his horse could continue to run so many high level performances with little time off and alot of travel. He mentioned Unbridled's Song, but notice his fear was limited to the natural talent of US and bot his form, which was a huge question following his Derby 5th and then stunning defeat in the Peter Pan. The Pacific Classic, which would be Cigar's next race and ultimately the end of the streak, was different in that Mott and Bailey were concerned about a horse, Siphon, from the powerhouse stable of Dick Mandella. They also knew Mandella would enter a horse that would compliment Siphon's talent. And Mott and Bailey had found out with Cigar's stablemate Geri, himself an excellent horse, that in Siphon,cigar would be facing a tank of a horse with graded sprinter speed and the ability to carry it 10 furlongs. Near the time of the Cy Challenge, Geri ran in the Hollywood Gold Cup, a gr1 race at 10 furlongs, in which Geri had stalked a fast pace in which Siphon had run the other speed into submission. Bailey asked Geri to after Sipon on the far turn and his horse drew up alongside Siphon with just minimal encouragement making an outcome of a Geri victory look to those watching and Bailey himself as he later admitted, a forgone conclusion. But Geri never could get by Siphon who was actually increasing his lead at the wire. This was a very fast horse, physically and mentally strong, fully mature, and capable of getting 10f. When the entries for the Pacific Classic came out there appeared no speed signed on to keep Siphon honest. If Geri had been turned back after Siphon had to put away a number of speed challengers, how tough would Siphon be if left on an uncontested lead? Dramatic Gold, who made Cigar work a bit in this video, had tactical speed but was a stalker not front runner. The 2 time reigning champion of the Pacific Classic, Tinners Way, was a closer. And Mandella's 2nd entrant, who at one time was a speed horse, had patiently been transformed into a mid-pack closer. For the first time Team Cigar planned strategy around an opponent. They had forgotten,as they would say post facto, that Geri was no Cigar. Instead of allowing Cigar to run his race and not worrying if that would be good enough given the pace dynamics they agreed on a plan to defeat Siphon. Cigar would be the horse that would pressure Siphon early, do the dirty work of making sure he didnt back the pace down too much. If they stuck Cigar to Siphon's flank they believed Cigar would prove himself superior in this match race. And they were correct. But they didnt anticipate that in response to seeing Cigar willingly engage in a speed duel with Siphon, that Corey Nakatani on Dramatic Gold would see an opportunity to put Cigar in a sandwich and so quickly rushed his mount up directly outside Cigar. There were now 3 horses involved in what developed into a historically fast pace. A half in 45 and 4, 6f in 109 and 1, a mile in 133 and 3, just ticks off the track record for that distance. But they still had quarter of a mile to run. Dramatic Gold was first to blink and fell out of the duel abruptly and even before going a mile(he would come back to win a gr2 at Del Mar at a mile over stablemate Alphabet Soup, then won the gr1 Meadowlands Cup over Formal Gold, a 3 year old that was wowing speed figure makers. Cigar proved his superiority over Geri by being able to reel in Siphon on the far turn and rather comfortable go on by, ultimately finishing 7 lengths in front of that rival. The plan to beat Siphon had worked! Tinners Way would never be a factor and was pulled up with a career ending injury. But there was one horse out there the other Mandella, a gr1 performer on dirt and turf, Dare and Go, who had been picking up on Mandella's training and put his new style together at the perfect time. No sooner had Cigar won the battle with Siphon it was becoming clear the war would go to Dare and Go. With 44k people on track now eerily silent,,Dare and Go crossed the wire over 3 lengths to the better of Cigar. Mott and Bailey would immediately place all blame on themselves. With years of hindsight they had also come to realize that Pacific Classic was the race the inevitable happened; Cigar began to regress. For while Cigar would win his following start, a 2md Woodward, he would lose the Jockey Club Gold Cup by a head to Skip Away(who was only a 3 time Eclipse champ, 16 time graded stakes winner, 10 of them gr1s, and owner of 4 Beyer speed figures of 120 or higher. As for Siphon, Mott and Bailey's focus on him was not unfounded. Early in 1997 he beat Eastern shipper, Formal Gold, the fastest horse by Beyer speed figures of the last 30 years and stablemates Sandpit(earner of $3.7 million) and Gentlemen(by Beyer speed figures up with Ghostzapper for 2nd fastest in the last 3 decades with Beyers of 126, 121, 121, 118) in winning the 10f Santa Anita Handicap(with a120 Beyer of his own, just one point below Cigar's career best).

Wow. Forgot just how deep a field this was. Will always love Cigar and will never, ever forget watching his streak. On another note, I wonder what could have been - at least on the racetrack - for Unbridled's Song...so much raw talent but a jerk of an owner who campaigned him ridiculously.

Track announcer: Michael Wrona

Be lucky to get a horse to even run as a 4 year old now; Cigar was 6 when he raced here & still going

Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery calling horse racing? How about that lol

Nobody wins that wide at 1 1/8 mile at AP. Two of my all time favorites... Cigar and Polar Expedition.

The last time Cigar looked like himself. All the races and the quarter cracks eventually took their toll...

They fail to mention he was carrying 130 lbs.

Bad camera work at the end Zoom out so that we can see who finishes 2nd and 3rd

I haven't learnt that the race caller here is an Australian instead of an American until listening to the way he called the race. Anyway, this was a historical moment and such an equine style to remember.

Commentators: Gus Johnson, Howard Sudberry, Bill Raftery & Johnny Morris

Cigar muy caballo como pocos

They made a mistake Citation carried weight of 132lbs and 138lbs go look it up. Citation was a great handicap horse before he got injured. To me he was the best pure race horse because he could win with or without a handicap ..it didn't matter he would win. But Cigar was a great horse too.

RIP Cigar he died last night following surgery for severe arthritis in his neck that was causing pain and weakness www.kyhorsepark.com/news/thoroughbred-champion-cigar-dies-following-surgery

Race Call: Michael Wrona

WHAT?? Gus Johnson??

thats what i thought LOL

Has to be considered one of to 5 dirt classic distance thoroughbreds of all time. How many others won 16 in a row while facing the best there is. Secretariat didn't. He couldn't even win 6 in a row.

Mott (period)

1/4-23.4 1/2-46.4 3/4-1:10.1 Finish-1:48.1

I was there I was 9year old

16:15

Cigar!Catch me if you can. Good song for a Great Horse Jerry and Mike Smith battles out Here I am in2018 getting more involved in horse racing I do read up on it.In the 70s watched Atlantic City 🐎 after evening news on tv. Watch out Cigar,Zenyatta is coming.2 great horses,2great jockies and one helluva race. Janice Nicholson Whedbee

CBS couldn't afford Horse people to cover this race? Gus-GHETTO Johnson? Bill -SEND IT IN Raftery?

Unbridled's Song was awful.