Distance of Cigar Mile no issue for Secret Circle, Baffert says

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though it has been more than two years since Secret Circle has raced beyond six furlongs, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert doesn’t believe distance will be an issue when the 5-year-old horse runs in Saturday’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

“He’s more of a miler. A mile is not going to be a problem,” Baffert said Tuesday. “I ran him short because there’s more money in the Breeders’ Cup [going short].”

As a 3-year-old, Secret Circle won the Grade 3 Southwest and Grade 2 Rebel stakes at a mile and 1 1/16 miles. He ran second to Bodemeister in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles before injuries kept him from the races for 16 months. Secret Circle won the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and finished second behind Work All Week in this year’s BC Sprint on Nov. 1.

Secret Circle came out of the Sprint in good order and has worked three times at Santa Anita, including a five-furlong move in 59.80 seconds in company Monday.

“He’s in form right now. He ran a tremendous race in the Breeders’ Cup,” Baffert said. “I think the [inside] post hurt him a little bit. In the Breeders’ Cup, you got to break, you got to get the trip, and he got jostled a little bit.”

Secret Circle was flown to New York via Federal Express on Tuesday. He will be the co-highweight at 122 pounds along with Itsmyluckyday and Private Zone.

As the winner of the 2013 BC Sprint, Secret Circle is running for the winner’s share of a $1 million purse, as is Regally Ready, the winner of the 2011 BC Turf Sprint. Grade 1 winners Itsmyluckyday and Private Zone are running for the winner’s share of a $750,000 purse. The remainder of the field, which is expected to include Vyjack, Bourbon Courage, Noble Moon, and Transparent, are running for a $500,000 purse. Salutos Amigos is expected to enter the Cigar Mile but likely will run in Thursday’s Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap.

Palace, Sweet Reason get rest

Palace and Sweet Reason, a pair of Grade 1 stakes winners this year who were expected to race at Aqueduct this week, are being freshened and pointed to campaigns in 2015, their connections said Tuesday.

Palace, the winner of the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt and Grade 1 Forego, spiked a temperature after a recent workout, according to trainer Linda Rice, who was pointing the New York-bred to either Thursday’s Grade 3 Fall Highweight or Saturday’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Instead, Rice said Palace would be turned out before resuming training around Feb. 1.

Meanwhile, Sweet Reason, the winner of the Grade 1 Acorn and Grade 1 Test, was under consideration for Saturday’s Grade 3 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles. But trainer Leah Gyarmati opted to skip the race and plans to turn out Sweet Reason on a New Jersey farm for an undetermined period of time.

“She’s fine, just not much upside to running,” Gyarmati said. “She’s done enough this year.”

Rose, Jara to ride at Aqueduct

Jeremy Rose and Fernando Jara, a pair of classic-winning jockeys, will ride at Aqueduct this winter.

Rose, best known as the rider of 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex, was scheduled to begin riding in New York on Wednesday. Rose has spent his winters at either Oaklawn Park or in Maryland. Most recently, he was riding at Indiana Grand, where his 61 wins tied him for fifth in the standings.

“The money’s good up here. For winter racing, you really can’t get any better,” said Rose, who will be represented by agent David Grace.

Jara, who won the 2006 Belmont Stakes aboard Jazil and was the regular rider of Invasor, the 2006 Horse of the Year, began riding here Nov. 15. He has won two races from 12 mounts.

Jara, 26, last rode regularly in New York in 2011. He has been riding in south Florida the last few years. He joins his sister, Alexandra Jara, a five-pound apprentice, in the jockeys’ room. Fernando Jara is represented by agent Shawn Klotz.