I've been busy and haven't had time to note the passing of a Thoroughbred legend. Like Secretariat, Cigar was larger than life, breathtaking in his athletic perfection.
Cigar, a two-time Horse of the Year who won 16 races in a row in the
mid 1990s, died Wednesday in Lexington, Ky., according to racing
industry reports.
Cigar, 24, retired as the leading money-winner
in thoroughbred history with just under $10 million in winnings and, in
1995 and 1996, he became the first horse since Citation (1948 and 195)
to win 16 races in a row against top competition.
That's really old. Hopefully he had his choice of mares to the end.
ReplyDeleteNope. Cigar was discovered to be sterile when he retired as a very young horse, so all the millions invested in his breeding potential were worthless. There was always some hint that he might have been made sterile because of steroid use. In his day, steroids in horses was not illegal. But it has since been banned.
ReplyDeleteWell ain't that the shits. Not only did they run his ass off, they kept him from any fun in his old age.
DeleteYeah...he didn't even have any fun as a young stud. Whether it was from the steroids, or he was just a freak shooting blanks, no one ever determined. But he was turned out to enjoy the life...sans mares.
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