True Timber, Carmouche, have big day in Cigar Mile

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Perseverance, confidence, and sheer joy were on display Saturday at Aqueduct as Kendrick Carmouche guided True Timber to a 5 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile.

Not only was it the first Grade 1 victory for Carmouche, who began riding in 2000, it was the first stakes victory of any kind for the 6-year-old True Timber, who had been winless in 19 previous stakes tries including a second in the 2018 Cigar Mile and a third in the 2019 Cigar Mile.

“This means so much to me, this is the biggest win of my career,” Carmouche, with tears in his eyes, said.

The victory was the 21st of the Aqueduct fall meet for Carmouche, who is poised to win his first NYRA meet riding title. He leads Jose Lezcano by four wins entering Sunday’s final day of the meet.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

This was the ninth time Carmouche had ridden True Timber. He was aboard the colt when he won his maiden in his second career start as a 2-year-old in 2016 over Aqueduct’s now-defunct inner track. Since then, Carmouche has been one of eight jockeys to pilot True Timber, who had gone 0 for 17 in graded events before Saturday.

True Timber had been trained by Kiaran McLaughlin before he retired from training earlier this year. The horse, owned by Calumet Farm, was transferred to Jack Sisterson, who, after looking at the horse’s past performances, made the Cigar Mile the year-end goal for True Timber.

Sisterson didn’t give Carmouche any instructions. He simply sent Carmouche a text wishing him good luck. Carmouche’s response was “a peace sign with emojis wearing sunglasses. How could you not be confident after that?”

Carmouche loved the fact he had an outside post on True Timber in what became a scratch-reduced six-horse field. The sloppy track Saturday prompted the connections of Firenze Fire, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, Mind Control, a two-time Grade 1 winner, and Majestic Dunhill, the Bold Ruler winner, to scratch.

True Timber got a perfect trip under Carmouche. King Guillermo, the Tampa Bay Derby winner, and Mr. Buff, dominant in the New York-bred stakes level, dueled through a quarter-mile of 22.89 seconds and a half-mile in 45.82 with True Timber in third, 2 1/2 lengths off the pace.

Performer, the 4-5 favorite, was last early after breaking a bit awkwardly.

True Timber made a three-wide bid to the lead at the quarter pole and was never seriously threatened in the lane.

“I had a perfect position leaving the gate and all the way around there,” Carmouche said. “Right before we get to the quarter pole, I just pulled the trigger and I said they’re going to have to run me down.”

True Timber, a 6-year-old son of Mineshaft, covered the mile in 1:36.49 and returned $16.60 to win.

Snapper Sinclair, who had lost his last 10 starts, rallied from fourth to get second by a neck over Performer. King Guillermo was fourth followed by Mr. Buff and Bon Raison.

Performer had a five-race winning streak snapped in the Cigar Mile. After his poor start, Performer was eight lengths back after the opening half-mile. He made a wide rally but was beaten 5 3/4 lengths.

“Before they opened the gate he was a little excited, he wanted to go,” said jockey Joel Rosario, who added that when the gates opened his feet got tangled. “It took a little bit of time to get him going. After that he put in his run. It’s just a little hard to come from where he was after the break.”

Sisterson, who watched the race from a restaurant outside the Gulfstream Park paddock, passed the credit to his staff, Carmouche and McLaughlin, who “sent the horse in fantastic shape.”

Sisterson said that True Timber will ship to him in South Florida and will likely point to the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23.