Aqueduct: Groupie Doll settles in for Cigar Mile

Groupie Doll, purchased for $3.1 million by Mandy Pope a few days after winning her second straight Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, has settled in at Belmont in preparation for another try in the Nov. 30 Cigar Mile, a Grade 1 race she lost in heart-breaking fashion last year to Stay Thirsty.

Groupie Doll had her first trip to the track Sunday morning, jogging a mile and galloping a mile over the training track.

“She was very much into herself and showed a pretty good energy level, which is what we wanted to see,” said trainer William “Buff” Bradley, who previously had owned the mare with his father, Fred, and two minority partners. “We had thought she would be retired immediately. If we had kept her, we know we’d probably be looking at the Cigar Mile.”

Although Graydar was retired last week, Todd Pletcher could have as many as three Cigar Mile runners in Capo Bastone, Forty Tales, and Verrazano.

Alpha and Goldencents also are pointing to the $500,000 Cigar Mile.

Grade 1 winners run for the winner’s share of a $750,000 purse, and Breeders’ Cup winners run for a winner’s share of $1 million.