Law Professor being pointed to Cigar Mile

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Law Professor has done his best work at Aqueduct and though most of his success has come in races run around two turns, he is targeting the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile, a race run around one turn, on Dec. 7 as his next start.

Law Professor made it five wins from seven starts at Aqueduct when he ran down Bendoog in a high-caliber allowance race Oct. 25. That race was at 1 1/8 miles, his fourth win going nine furlongs at Aqueduct including victories in the Queens County and Excelsior Stakes. He did win his lone start going a one-turn mile in February, earning a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

“There’s really nothing else in New York right now,” trainer Rob Atras said. “As long as he’s doing well out of that race, I think we’re going to point to it.”

Atras gave extra credit to Law Professor for his allowance win as he chased down a loose-on-the-lead Bendoog over a track Atras believed favored Bendoog’s front-running style.

“That track was inside speed favoring. Nothing against Bendoog, he’s a nice horse, I thought we were going to go by him” easier, Atras said. “He fought back, didn’t lay down. Our horse showed a lot off the layoff to get his nose down over a good, seasoned horse like that.”

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

Law Professor earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for that win.

Others pointing to the Cigar Mile are Coastal Mission, winner of the Forty Niner Stakes at Aqueduct, and Locked, a Grade 1 winner from 2023 who made a successful 3-year-old debut winning an allowance race last month, also at Aqueduct.

Meanwhile, Atras said the 2-year-old Chasing Liberty, who won last weekend’s $200,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Del Mar, is getting some time off at the Twin Creeks Farm of Randy Gullat and Steve Davison before rejoining Atras at Fair Grounds for his 3-year-old season.

Chasing Liberty got up by a neck in the TAA Stakes, for his third win from four starts this year.

“He ran great, I think he’s a horse that’s going to keep getting better too with time and racing,” Atras said. “It definitely made the trip worth it. To win at Del Mar on Breeders’ Cup Day, I know it wasn’t a Breeders’ Cup race, but it was a Breeders’ Cup race to me. To me, it was really special. Hopefully, one day we’ll have one in the Breeders’ Cup.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.