Everso Mischievous leads big field in Cigar Mile

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Led by the top three finishers from the Grade 2 Forty Niner Stakes and three graduates from the Breeders’ Cup, a field of 12 was entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile.

A Grade 1 since 1991 - when it was known as the NYRA Mile - the Cigar Mile was downgraded by the North American Graded Stakes Committee for this year’s running. The field of 12 represents the largest since 1997, when 12 ran. It went with a full field of 14 in 1996.

Everso Mischievous, one of a trio of 3-year-olds in this year’s field, won the Forty Niner over Dr Ardito and Accretive. All three are back in the Cigar, where Everso Mischievous, trained by Brad Cox, could go off a lukewarm favorite. A 3-year-old has won this race - renamed the Cigar Mile in 1997 for the two-time Horse of the Year - 12 times, most recently in 2021 by Americanrevolution.

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Everso Mischievous has won four of six starts overall and he is 3 for 3 since Cox added blinkers to his equipment prior to an allowance win at Saratoga.

“I think he’s a little more consistent in his training,” Cox said. “Obviously, in the afternoon he’s been very consistent.”

Everso Mischievous drew post 2 and will be ridden for a third straight time by Cristian Torres.

Dr Ardito was nosed out by his Chad Brown-trained stablemate Accretive for second in the Forty Niner, previously run as the Kelso. Brown also entered Cascais, a 3-year-old, who is still eligible for a first-level allowance.

Senor Buscador, the 123-pound highweight, is coming out of a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he was beaten 5 1/4 lengths by White Abarrio. The last time he ran in a one-turn mile race, he won the Grade 3 Ack Ack at Churchill Downs in 2022.

Hoist the Gold and Three Technique finished sixth and eighth, respectively, behind Elite Power in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

The Cigar field, from the rail out, is Coastal Mission, Everso Mischievous, Senor Buscador, Cascais, Dr Ardito, High Oak, Three Technique, Offaly Cool, Castle Chaos, Accretive, Hoist the Gold, and Pipeline.

The Cigar Mile will go off as the last of 10 races on the card that begins at 11:50 a.m.

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