More Than Ready, Golden Missile To Contest Cigar Mile

The connections of Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) fifth-place finisher More Than Ready and Golden Missile, who finished last in the Classic (gr. I), have indicated their horses will be pointed to the $350,000 Cigar Mile (gr. I) at Aqueduct later this month. Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) fourth-place finisher Affirmed Success, who won the 1999 Cigar Mile after having finished second in the 1998 renewal, will also contest the Nov. 25 race.

"He (More Than Ready) had a tough race here and had to overcome post one, but he came back in good shape," Pletcher said. "We're going to point to the Cigar Mile."

Golden Missile's trainer Joe Orseno blamed the poor performance in the Classic on a rough trip for his 5-year-old.

"He had a really rough trip in the Classic and never got a chance to run," Orseno said of the Pimlico Special (gr. I) winner. "You should see him, he has nicks all over his body and a huge abrasion across his hock.

"We treated him last night, and he was sound this morning. It's a shame he couldn't put his run in. This was supposed to be his last race of the year, but he is doing so well that we decided to run back in the Cigar Mile."

Affirmed Success' trainer Richard Schosberg thought he had a winner in the Mile, but his 6-year-old gelding missed by a neck and two noses.

"I really thought that we had that race won," Schosberg said. "I never knew that I would feel so emotional. I felt in the stretch that he was going to win.

"He's a better seven-furlong horse than he is a miler, but there are no seven-furlong Breeders' Cup races. So, we'll follow the same plan as last year and go to the Cigar Mile. We'll run again next year in the Mile and, hopefully, win it in our backyard."

Next year's Breeders' Cup will be hosted by Belmont Park.