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I too was a Best Pal fan and was rooting for the old guy this day. However, Best Pal was nowhere near the horse he was in 1992 or even 1993. Best Pal’s 4 straight wins at the beginning of 1992 were better than any 4 races Cigar put together. Of course, Cigar went beyond 4 straight, winning 12 more. I was dubious of Cigar before this race, and he was actually booed in the paddock (while Best Pal was cheered).The place was quiet after the race. Cigar certainly won me over.

I don’t agree that the Cigar of 95′ would have “destroyed” the fields in the 96′ Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders Cup Classic. By then, Skip Away was developing into a Hall of Famer in his own rite, and Alphabet Soup was a good little horse. In Soup’s next race, the 97′ San Antonio, he pushed the emerging star Gentlemen to the limit. And the Cigar of 95′ would not have been close to a sure thing against the Gentlemen of 97′.

if he didn’t get injured.. if he was able to run more.. if he didn’t need 4-6 weeks between starts… Lots of Ifs. The fact is Ghostzapper ran only 11 times. He won only two races around 2 turns and one race at 10 furlongs. Except for the BC Classic and Saint Liam in the Woodward, Ghostzapper was not running against top quality horses. In the Iselin, his other two-turn win besides the BC Classic, he faced only 3 other horses with the best of those being the Gr.III runner, Presidentialaafair.

Ghostzapper only ran a 120 Beyer or higher 4 times.His 5th highest fig was 116, 114 next, and then 106.He ran 4 great races, and 2 very good races. Of course he did this in 11 starts, but durability is a key to greatness. To be a great a horse must accomplish great things, and to accomplish great things a horse must actually run in races. Ghostzapper was an excellent horse in 6 races while Skip Away was excellent in 19 races (Beyer at least 113) and did run 125,122,121,120- 4 Beyers over 120.

Yes, Cigar was certainly not an imposing horse. I also thought he looked small when I saw him in the paddock of the Gold Cup. However, he had a very intelligent looking head, with the “look of eagles” in his eyes. Best Pal also had the “look of eagles”, particularly before the 92′ Big Cap. By 95′, Best pal, as a gelding, had put on a lot of weight, and had become rather sluggish on and off the track.

Medalgia only made 17 starts in his career and only 7 as a 4 and 5 year old. So, he physically would have been unable to put together a streak of 16 wins. Medalgia, though, did run strongly in his last 10 starts. Of those, he ran over a 110 Beyer 9 times. However, he ran a 106 in the 02′ BC Classic, and that would have ended any streak. Cigar ran over a 110 Beyer in all 17 of his final starts. That’s why HE had the streak. He never threw in even a mediocre performance let alone a bad race.

The field for this Hollywood Gold Cup was not that bad.Concern won the Gr.I 94′Breeders Cup Classic at 10 furlongs,ran Holy Bull to a head in the 10 furlong 94′Travers,won the 94Arkansas Derby, and won the 95Californian (gr.I) in his start before this.Tinners Way, who ran 2nd here,won the 94′+95′Pacific Classic(gr.I), and won the 96′Californian(gr.I). Urgent Request won the 95′Big Cap’(Gr.I),and Del Mar Dennis won 3 straight SanBernardino Caps(gr.2).Best Pal won 7Gr.1 races, ran 2nd in 95′BigCap

I honestly think so. Cigar was battling quarter cracks through-out the whole which made him miss a couple of races such as the 96 Big Cap. He missed valuable training time and some feared he might miss the classic. The Cigar of 96, although he was putting together good beyer figures was losing a step. Even Jerry Baily was saying that Cigar was struggling, and that right after he won the Citation challenge. And to only lose by a neck while running 5 wide and cutting to Alphabet Soup lead

I agree that Cigar had lost a step (3-4lengths) by the end of 96′. And I do believe that the Cigar of 95′ would have beaten Skip Away in the 96′Jockey Club Gold Cup and Alphabet Soup in the 96′BC Classic. What I was disagreeing with is the assertion that the 95′Cigar would have “destoyed” Skip Away, Alphabet Soup, Gentlemen,and the like.Those were very good horses,especially Skippy and Gentlemen (although not at their best in 96′).I would make Cigar favored, but believe it wouldnt have been easy

Perhaps I should have choose my words carefully. What I really meant to say was that Cigar would have beaten them. I too had liked Skip Away and Gentlemen. He wouldnt have destroyed the 96 classic field but with a better ride and not being 5 wide he probably could have won by a length or 2. To bad we hardly see horses like Cigar, Skip Away and Gentlemen anymore.

I saw that race,and when he kicked you could hear people gasp,and then California realized how great Cigar was. On dirt he was a monster,and to win 16 straight races is glaring proof of that.

I think this is Santa Anita because of Trevor Denman announcing the race in this video, not Hollywood Park

Trevor Denman was the track announcer at Hollywood Park in the 90s. So yes this is at Hollywood Park.

Cigar is soundly beating very solid horses.

So why do people continue to knock his competition? Give credit where it’s due.

I was at this race

does anyone have any video of cyrstal water winning the 77′ hollywood gold cup?

Cigar was avery special horse.

exactly Daniel EXACTLY!! I ask myself this mindboggling question all the time. I followed Cigar around the country throughout his career..i can say with confidence that maybe Secretariat is the only horse who could do it better. And mind you, he had a nasty quarter crack injury plaguing him through 2 seasons. 95-96

Denman has called meets at Hollywood in the past, though usually he takes the Hollywood meets off. This race was run at Hollywood.

I love how people like to knock the competition Cigar faced, but I guarantee those same people wouldn’t be able to name 5 horses that raced against Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Citation, Man O’War, Ruffian, Forego, yada yada yada. Great horses make really good horses look like also ran. You can’t knock a horse that won 16 straight racing at the highest levels, you just can’t.

Southland- You should lay off the crack when you’re posting opinions. Firstly, the only horses to beat Seattle Slew were champions- and 2 of the 3 races were photos, Exceller and Dr. Patches. The disaster in the Swaps (Against JO Tobin)was against Turner’s opinion as he said Slew shouldn’t make the trip and wouldn’t win. Regardless, even J.O Tobin, as with Exceller, Dr.Patches and Affirmed were all champions. Cigar ran a great streak of wins, Cigar only won 4 of his first 15 races- he

was no ‘superhorse’ and although he did beat good horses without a doubt, there has never been a single poll that ranked him ABOVE Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Man O War or even Citation. Citation was a great horse from the moment he hit the track at 2 years old he won 8 of his first 9 races- only losing a photo to one of the great females of all time- Bewitch. HE THEN BEAT ARMED- THE HORSE OF THE YEAR (1947) IN THE SEMINOLE HANDICAP- EVEN ANDY BEYER CALLED THAT RACE ONE OF THE GREATEST.

well, when you’re running 112 speed figures and winning by 5 lengths, don’t know what else you can call it but a light Grade I

Cigar’s greatness blossomed when he was returned to dirt near the end of his 4-year-old season.

For a year and a half, he was absolutely dynamite – the stuff legends are made of.

Seattle Slew, Citation, and Secretariat were also great horses in their day and racing is better off for having all of these champions.

And a true champion Cigar was – 16 straight; 11 Grade I’s, the first Dubai World Cup, and back-to-back horse of the year – surely it measures up to the all-time greats!

I have a 4 year old filly by him named Cigarette, and she looks exactly like him!