60 Minutes II Chronicles Bailey's Annual Visit with Cigar

A film crew for 60 Minutes II film crew visited the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions Friday to capture footage of jockey Jerry Bailey's annual visit with the legendary Cigar.

The footage with Cigar will be added to a story about Bailey that 60 Minutes II is doing for its Kentucky Derby (gr. I) week show, which is tentatively set to air on Wednesday, April 28.

Every year, while in town for the Keeneland spring meet, Bailey pays a visit to his former racing partner, who is retired at the park's Hall of Champions. Bailey developed such a bond with Cigar during their partnership that, prior to the horse's retirement ceremonies in 1996 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Bailey chose to ride in the back of the horse van with Cigar instead of driving in a car to the event.

Cigar retired with 19 wins in 33 career starts and earnings of $9,999,815, which is the all-time record for Thoroughbred racing. Cigar was voted champion older male and Horse of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. He was also the first horse to tie Citation's record of 16 consecutive victories. Cigar was named the racehorse of the decade of the 1990s and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2002, his first year of eligibility.

Along with Cigar, the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions is home to John Henry, the leading money-winning Thoroughbred gelding of all time; Da Hoss, the only Thoroughbred to win two Breeders' Cup races in non-consecutive years; Staying Together, considered the fastest Standardbred of all time; Western Dreamer, a Pacing Triple Crown Winner; and CH Gypsy Supreme, a champion Saddlebred show horse.