Guys and a Doll featured in Cigar Mile

Arguably the most impressive winner during the two-day Breeders' Cup festival

after successfully fighting a track bias catering to front runners, Groupie Doll

fared well in her only previous start against males. In a January 27 allowance

at Gulfstream Park over a one-turn mile, Groupie Doll missed by a less than a

length to Grade 1 veteran Boys at Tosconova. She commenced her present win

streak in the April 12 Madison when wearing blinkers for the first time,

equipment she has since not raced without.

Also looking to make a little history is Jersey Town, who seeks to follow

Congaree (2002-03) as only the second two-time winner of the Cigar Mile. The

Barclay Tagg trainee was a regally-bred ex-claimer when he upset the 2010

edition at 34-1, but has been limited to just nine starts the past two years. He

registered his first victory of any kind since the 2010 renewal in the Grade 2

Kelso Handicap on September 29, drawing off in the stretch to beat Shackleford

by 3 1/2 lengths, and like that rival went unplaced in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup

Dirt Mile at Santa Anita in his most recent outing.

Jersey Town will retire to Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky following Saturday's

race.

Also scheduled to retire after the Cigar Mile, in his case to Ashford Stud,

is 2011 Grade 1 Travers winner Stay Thirsty. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of

Bernardini has failed to reach the winner's circle in four starts this term, but

ran a bang-up second in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last time. A head

behind defending titlist Flat Out, Stay Thirsty was 5 1/2 lengths clear of

eventual Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic victor Fort Larned in that 1 1/4-mile

test.

Undoubtedly hurt by its late position on the calendar, the nine-furlong

Gazelle did not attract a field worthy of its lofty history or grade.

Nonetheless, the seven-filly field includes the aspiring duo of Dance Card, the

once-beaten winner of the September 23 Belle Cherie at Belmont, and Book Review,

who's won the Charles Town Oaks and Imperial Gesture in her past two starts.

Others of note are Grade 2-placed Jemima's Pearl, who comes off a second in the

Remington Park Oaks, and the Puerto Rican star My Wandy's Girl, who wheels back

on short rest after taking the 6 1/2-furlong Pentelis in her mainland U.S. debut

November 15.

The Mike Repole-owned pair of Overanalyze and Micromanage will likely go

favored in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen, a stepping stone to next spring's classics.

Overanalyze is the most accomplished of the two, having taken the Grade 2

Futurity two back, but the son of Dixie Union, was a disappointing eight lengths

third as the 9-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs most

recently.

Repole and Pletcher are also well-represented in the nine-furlong Demoiselle,

with 9 1/2-length debut winner Unlimited Budget part of an entry with Coconut

Shrimp, who is multiple stakes-placed on grass. However, the Juddmonte Farms

homebred Emollient might go off favored after a highly impressive maiden win at

Belmont which netted her a 101 BRIS Speed rating.

Also in the Demoiselle lineup are Miss Patricia, a debut winner for Rick

Dutrow; Giant Cats Eye, who captured her dirt debut by 4 3/4 lengths when adding

Lasix in her most recent outing; and Grade 3 Tempted third-placer Ruby Lips.

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