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Maximum Security, Spun Set To Run In Cigar Mile

Author: Don Mckee
Published: Tuesday November 26, 2019
While Maximum Security and Spun to Run are probables in the $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1), Omaha Beach will not be part of the field of 3-year-olds. 

Omaha Beach, a multiple grade 1 winner, was one of the 19 nominees to the Dec. 7 stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trainer Richard Mandella said that Omaha Beach will be staying in California for the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (G1) on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park. He will be going up against other 3-year-olds. 

Son Of War Front

Mandella spoke about Fox Hills Farms’ 3-year-old son of War Front. 

"It's been intended all along that he'll stay here and run in the Malibu," Mandella said. "It's mainly because I'm pointing to the ($9 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park), and I don't want him to travel back-and-forth across the country before then. He'll stay here for the Malibu."

As the field of six continues to finalize for the last grade 1 stakes of the year in New York, Gary and Mary West’s Maximum Security and Robert P. Donaldson's Spun to Run are at the top. Both are grade 1-winning 3-year-olds. 

Tough Competition In The Field

Other 3-year-olds in the field include Looking at Bikinis and Network Effect. The veterans Whitmore and True Timber are prospective starters for the race. 

The Cigar plays a big role in Eclipse Award voting, and Maximum Security is one of three 3-year-olds with two grade 1 wins this year. He is the homebred son of New Year’s Day, and his trainer is Jason Servis. He was famously disqualified from first to 17th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), and he has taken the TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1), and the Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) against older horses in his most recent run. 

Both Omaha Beach and William S. Farish’s Code of Honor also have two grade 1 victories as 3-year-olds, and they will be Maximum Security’s biggest competition for the division championship.

The Shug McGaughey-trained Code of Honor took grade 1 wins in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), and he also won the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth (G2) and Dwyer Stakes (G3). He finished second in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Florida Derby, and seventh in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). 

Omaha Beach took the Arkansas Derby (G1), the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1), and the Rebel Stakes (G2). He went on to finish second to Spun to Run in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in his last start. 

The Hard Spun colt Spun to Run finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead in the Dirt Mile for his first grade 1 win. After finishing third in the Haskell, he took the Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) in September, followed by a close fifth in the Pennsylvania Derby. 

Trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero prepared him for the Breeders’ Cup in the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile Stakes at Parx Racing, where he took a 6 3/4-length victory. 

Long Lake Stables, Madaket Stables, Thomas Coleman, and Doheny Racing Stables’ Looking at Bikinis recently won an Oct. 4 allowance race at Keeneland. The son of Looking At Lucky finished third in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course earlier this year. 

Klaravich Stables’ Network Effect, a Mark Valeski colt, took a Nov. 10 allowance race at Aqueduct. It was his first start in about 11 months, after finishing second in the 2018 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct.

Chad Brown is the trainer responsible for both Looking at Bikinis and Network Effect, and he is the first trainer to take $30 million in North American earnings for one year. He is a three-time Eclipse Award winner, and his 2019 earnings are at $30,136,510 through Nov. 24.