Flat Out takes all-star renewal of Cigar Mile

Preston Stables' Flat Out is best known as a two-time winner of the 1

1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, but the seven-year-old veteran expanded his

resume with a rallying victory in Saturday's Grade 1

Cigar

Mile Handicap at Aqueduct. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who

conditioned the race's namesake, Flat Out swept past the front-running Private

Zone and kicked 1 1/4 lengths clear.

"This horse, I can't say enough about him," Mott said. "He's just been a real

tough, durable horse, a horse that I've always felt may be as good at a flat

mile as he is at 10 furlongs. Although he has won the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice

at 10 furlongs, (he's) versatile enough to get up and get the job done at a

mile."

Dispatched at a healthy 6-1, Flat Out was turning back in trip off an eighth

in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. That race produced the top two

finishers in Friday's Clark Handicap at Churchill, Will Take Charge and Game On

Dude, respectively, and its strength in depth was reiterated in the Cigar Mile.

Several of his rivals were coming off other Breeders' Cup events. Dirt Mile

romper Goldencents garnered 3-1 favoritism from Verrazano, the 7-2 second choice

in the wake of his fourth in the Dirt Mile. Groupie Doll, sold for $3.1 million

to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm following her repeat victory in the Filly &

Mare Sprint, ranked as the 5-1 third pick. The 11-1 Laugh Track had just missed

in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, while Private Zone was the 32-1 longest shot on the

board after his 10th in the Sprint.

The all-star cast was attracted by NYRA's purse incentives. Breeders' Cup

winners were racing for a $1 million purse, and Grade 1 victors (including Flat

Out) were going for $750,000. Thus Flat Out's winner's check was worth $450,000.

When the gate opened, Saratoga Snacks took a nosedive, spotted the field a

few lengths, and never made an impact. Private Zone, on the other hand, blasted

to the fore and zipped through fractions of :22 2/5 and :45 1/5 on the fast

track. His stablemate from the Doug O'Neill barn, Goldencents, chased, with

Laugh Track and Verrazano also forwardly placed. Clearly Now was within striking

range, Groupie Doll raced off the pace on the inside, and Flat Out bided his

time while in the clear.

Clearly Now found room to advance into second on the rail, and traveled

ominously well just behind Private Zone on the far turn. Unfortunately, he got

too close, clipped heels, and did well to regain his stride and keep Jose

Lezcano in the saddle. Groupie Doll, who was in the next flight, was forced to

check and alter course as a result.

Stretch-out sprinter Private Zone gave no indication of flagging after

clocking the six-furlong sprint in 1:09 3/5, but kept on motoring in the

stretch. By that point, however, Junior Alvarado had stoked Flat Out, and the

multi-millionaire was rolling into contention on the outside.

Picking up strongly the farther he went, Flat Out comfortably overhauled

Private Zone, negotiated the mile in 1:34 3/5, and rewarded his loyalists with a

$15 win mutuel.

"I saw Verrazano had about a half-length on (Flat Out at the half-mile

pole)," Mott said, "and I thought, 'As soon as he clears you, just tip out,

follow him, and give us a clear trip.' And he (Alvarado) gave him a good, clean

trip."  

"He broke very well," Alvarado said. "I put him in the race and made sure he

wasn't too far back. I had a perfect trip. I couldn't ask for anything better

than that. For him, I think it was the dream trip -- on the outside, clear,

nothing bothering him, the speed was going very fast in front. When I asked him,

he definitely gave me all he had. He's a very nice horse and he made a very nice

run."

Private Zone was best of the rest by two lengths from Verrazano, who held the

closing Groupie Doll by a neck for third. Clearly Now crossed the wire another

neck back in fifth after his eventful trip. Next came Forty Tales, Goldencents,

Saratoga Snacks, Laugh Track and Capo Bastone. Praetereo was scratched.

Jockey Martin Pedroza was delighted with Private Zone, and credited owner and

retired rider Rene Douglas for suggesting this spot.

"He ran a brilliant race; there was no doubt about it," Pedroza said. "I give

all the credit to Rene Douglas; he wanted to run in this race. He was right;

this horse can go the distance. I think he can go two turns. He never stopped."

O'Neill had contrasting reactions for his duo. Elated for Private Zone, the

trainer was mystified by Goldencents.

"(Private Zone) ran big. He ran huge. It's one of those things where the 5-2

runs like a 30-1 shot and the 30-1 shot runs like a 5-2 shot," O'Neill said.

"Disappointing (from Goldencents). We've got to try to dissect. (Jockey

Rafael Bejarano) said (Saratoga Snacks) kind of stumbled and almost came over in

front of Goldencents. After that, he thought he had him in a good spot, but just

didn't kick on like we had hoped. No real excuse, just trying to figure it all

out.

"Just a head scratcher, but we'll regroup. We'll go over them good and figure

out a game plan."

Groupie Doll, just denied by Stay Thirsty in last year's Cigar Mile, was

compromised by her troubled trip this time.

"The number 3 horse (Clearly Now) clipped heels and stumbled right in front

of me," jockey Rajiv Maragh said, "and almost unseated the jockey at the

quarter-pole. Before that we were in perfect position and running really good. I

had to alter my course and by the time I got her running again it cost us a

lot."

Trainer Buff Bradley was glad to get the champion back in his barn after the

Keeneland November Sale, but was understandably crestfallen by how the race

unfolded.

"Rajiv had some problems on the backside going into the turn," Bradley said.

"You can't (alter course) like that on this track. We took a shot. (New owner)

Mandy (Pope) did a great job bringing her up here. That's why they load them in

the gate. You have a good horse, you have to run, you have to see."

Although Flat Out was winning his first top-level mile event, the son of

Flatter entered the gate with a solid 5-2-1-1 mark at the trip. Both of his mile

victories had come in stakes, the 2009 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn and the April 27

Westchester at Belmont. In his last attempt at a mile, he was a troubled third

in the May 27 Metropolitan Handicap, but he had a perfect passage here.

Flat Out has now bankrolled $3,645,383 from his 29-9-5-5 record, encompassing

seven career stakes wins and 10 stakes placings. Third when seeking a three-peat

in the September 28 Jockey Club Gold Cup two starts back, the bay horse also

boasts two wins in the 1 1/8-mile Suburban Handicap, first in 2011 and again on

July 6. Flat Out was outdueled by only a head in the August 31 Woodward, his

second runner-up effort in that race. Aside from two placings in the Whitney

Handicap, he has also placed in such events as the Clark Handicap, Lone Star

Park Handicap, Monmouth Cup and the 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Bred by Nikolaus Bock in Florida, Flat Out was a bargain $11,000 weanling

purchase at OBS October. He was subsequently sold for $85,000 as a Fasig-Tipton

Kentucky July yearling. He is out of the multiple stakes-winning Cresta Rider

mare Cresta Lil, making him a half-brother to stakes scorer Our Best Man. This

is the family of Grade 1 heroines Got Koko and Tarlow and multiple Grade 3

victor J. T.'s Pet.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com