OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It isn’t often that a jockey gives a trainer instructions. But when that jockey is the Hall of Famer John Velazquez, a trainer is inclined to listen. After Velazquez finished sixth aboard Hoist the Gold in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint four weeks ago at Santa Anita, Velazquez told trainer Dallas Stewart he should run the 4-year-old son of Mineshaft in Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Stewart said Velazquez told him “I’m going to put him on the lead. He doesn’t like dirt in his face, ‘ ” Stewart said. “I said ‘We’re going to do exactly what you’re saying and you’re going to ride him.’ “ On Saturday, over a sealed, muddy track that was favoring front-runners, Velazquez put Hoist the Gold on the lead coming out of the chute and he never looked back, cruising to a 4 1/2-length victory over Senor Buscador. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to Castle Chaos, who got third by a nose over Three Technique. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Coastal Mission was fifth, followed by Offaly Cool, Dr Ardito, High Oak, Pipeline, Accretive, Everso Mischievous, the 5-2 favorite, and Cascais. Velazquez said that in the Breeders’ Cup, once Hoist the Gold got clear of the dirt -  which was too late to make an impact in the race - he galloped out really good. “I said this race in New York is going to come up good for him,” Velazquez said he told Stewart. “I think even if he doesn’t beak, he’s going to be close to the pace and I think he fits with these horses.” Hoist the Gold didn’t break on top, but he gradually worked his way to the lead running an opening quarter in 22.41 seconds while maintaining a head advantage over Pipeline, who was to his outside under Jose Lezcano. Hoist the Gold maintained a measured lead over Pipeline through a half-mile in 44.88 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.04. Turning for home, Pipeline was done, Hoist the Gold was not as he opened up a five-length advantage with a furlong remaining. Hoist the Gold was basically on cruise control to the wire as Senor Buscador emerged from the back of the pack to get second. “Right before the quarter pole I didn’t feel anybody around me. I said man they’re going to have to really run because I know when he switches leads he goes on again,” Velazquez said. “When he switched leads I made sure he kept his mind running because when he got to the stretch he runs, but he gets out at the same time. So I had to keep him busy as well.” Hoist the Gold, owned by Dream Team One Racing Stable, covered the mile in 1:34.28 over a sealed, muddy track and returned $19.40 as the sixth choice in the 12-horse field. Stewart, who watched the race from Louisiana, said he wasn’t too concerned about the fast early fractions. “I saw the way he was moving, I thought he had a little more in the tank and he showed it at the eighth pole,” Stewart said. “He put another gear on them. That’s tremendous acceleration from the eighth pole to the wire.” Stewart said Hoist the Gold would get about a week off on Rebecca Maker’s farm in Kentucky before joining him at Fair Grounds later this month. Stewart wasn’t sure what would be next but he sounded intrigued when told the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 25, while run at 1 1/8 miles, is a one-turn race. “Johnny said he couldn’t pull him up,” Stewart said. “We’ll have to talk about it.” Junior Alvarado was pleased with the performance of Senor Buscador considering he was so far back and had to go wide on a speed-favoring track. “He gave me a great race,” Alvarado said. “I think with a little more of a fair track he would have put up a good fight at the end for sure.” Senor Buscador has been mentioned as a possible starter for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.