Mind Control wins Cigar Mile 2022 | Sarah Andrews
Via Bill Finley
The U.S. Classified Equity Commission released its list of classified shares for 2023 on Friday, and it includes five races that have been downgraded from Class I to Class II, including two. NYRA’s higher prices for older ground horses, Woodward and Cigar Mile H. Also relegated from Class I to Class II were Clark S. at Churchill Downs, Starlet S. at Los Alamitos and Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita.
Woodward is perhaps the most surprising race on the list of newly appointed Class II races. Twenty race winners have entered the Hall of Fame, including Kelso, Buckpasser, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid and Cigar. But racing has struggled in recent years as the NYRA’s racing division tries to figure out the best place on the calendar to schedule a series of late summer early fall races for the handicapped division. disability, including the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. In 2006, Woodward was moved from Belmont Park to Saratoga. The race is moved back to Belmont in 2021, swapped with the Jockey Club Gold Cup, transferred to Saratoga. Woodward won this year against a top horse in Life Is Good (Into Mischief), but the race drew only four horses and the three Life Is Good challengers were all pretty weak.
The Cigar Mile was inaugurated in 1988 and originally operated as the NYRA Mile. Winners include Forty Niner, Cigars, tone artist (faucet) and Maximum security (Right at the beginning of the year). This year’s race wasn’t going strong as Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) beat five others.
One race, Stephen Foster S., was upgraded from Class II to Class I. The race was Class I until 2018 when it was downgraded. This year’s winner is the Olympiad (Sightstown).
A total of 97 Class I races will be contested in 2023.
The committee reviewed 901 stake races and assigned rated status to 440 of them, nine fewer than the number ranked in 2022.
Three races have been upgraded to Class II, Beaumont S., Franklin S. and Ladies Sprint S. Seven races have been downgraded from Class II to Class III for 2023: Sorrento S. in Del Mar; S. dinner party at Pimlico; Monrovia S., San Carlos S., San Marcos S. and Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita Park; and the Tampa Bay Derby at the Tampa Bay Downs. Four races have been upgraded to Class III for 2023: Manila S. at Belmont Park; Blame S. and Shawnee S. at Churchill Downs; and Music City S. at the Kentucky Downs. Twelve races have been downgraded from Class III to Listed status for 2023.
Not a subscriber? Click here to subscribe to PDF or daily alerts.
This story was posted in Top News and tagged US Classified Equity Commission, aqueduct, Churchill Downs, Cigar mile, Clark, downgrade race, classified shares, handicap division, NYRA, stock schedule, little Star, wood direction.
