I can remember the exact moment that I fell in love with the “sport of kings.” Although, at the time, I didn’t even know the difference between a win-place-show bet, an exotic, or any other bet, for that matter. It was the summer of 1996. I was 14 years old and just a month or so away from turning 15. I was your typical teenage kid. My friends and I enjoyed playing hockey, baseball or any other sport we could – horse racing wasn’t really on the radar.
That summer we heard a ”once in a generation” horse was coming to Arlington Park to tie some kind of record. We figured we should be there. Luckily, my buddy’s mom did too and she offered to take us. So, the plan was set – July 13, 1996 – we were going to beautiful Arlington Park to see the amazing Cigar try for 16 straight victories.
Now, I don’t remember what I did before I got to the track or after, or even how many races I watched that day. What I do remember was the buzz at the track that day. We pulled up to Arlington and the parking lot was packed. When we walked up to the gates, we could feel it in the air, the atmosphere was electric.
If you’ve never been to Arlington Park – also known as Arlington International Racecourse – its one of those tracks you put on your bucket list. It is a fantastic racing complex; pristine, well maintained and flush with all of the amenities a horse player could ask for. Arlington Park opened on October 3, 1927 to 20,000 spectators and pioneered some major advances in the horse racing industry. Arlington was the first track to install a public address system and, in 1936, the first to add a photo finish camera. The park introduced the first electric starting gate in 1940 and the largest closed circuit TV system in all of sports in 1967. They even started trifecta wagering in 1971 and, in 1981, Arlington was the home of the world’s first million dollar thoroughbred race, the Arlington Million (my favorite race day of the year). Naturally, Arlington Park seemed like the perfect spot for Cigar to make history.
Over 34,000 people made their way to Arlington Park to see the son of Palace Music and Solar Slew. The paddock looked more like a rock concert than a horse race and with each passing race the excitement continued to build. Cigar’s streak which had lasted for more than 21-months was once again on the line. The powers that be at Arlington specifically created the Citation Challenge to bring the reigning horse of the year to the Midwest and offered $1-million to the winner. They even allowed Cigar’s owner and handlers to pick the date and distance of the race. The pressure was on. Of course, at the time I didn’t know any of this, I was just digging the atmosphere and couldn’t wait to see the grandson of Seattle Slew with my own two eyes.
Finally, it was time for the 6-year-old bay champion to run his way into racing lore. As Cigar made his way through the paddock and onto the track, you could hear the crowd roar. Cigar was a rock star warming up for the big gig. He was a prize fighter ready to defend his belt. I made my way to the rail. I wasn’t going to miss this. Then, it happened (cue the 50s love tune: I Only Have Eyes for You) – Cigar slowly trotted toward me. I had never seen such an amazing animal. He looked chiseled to perfection. I remember thinking, no wonder he doesn’t lose, not knowing much about racing. From that moment on, the big bay horse was my guy (I also had someone throw a few bucks on him for me too). I wished I had gotten on the bandwagon sooner, but better late than never. Post time was just a couple minutes away. There was no way this horse was losing today.
The horses were entering the starting gate and we were seconds away from the start. The level of excitement in the grandstands and around the track was incredible. That feeling of anticipation was at it’s peak and I loved it. All horse players know that feeling. I like to equate it to pre-flop in a game of No Limit Texas hold ‘em. You’re all-in and hoping for that nut flop. When those cards are turned over and that gate flies open, anything can happen.
With all the excitement, some of the horses were visibly startled. Cigar seemed to be feeding on the noise. He loaded into post 10 with Jerry Bailey aboard. The bell rang and the gate flew open – we were racing. Honour and Glory jumped out to the early lead. Cigar took the first turn at least six-wide and continued to race on the outside down the backstretch. Mike Smith and Unbridled’s Song were side by side with Bailey and Cigar. Honour and Glory came under pressure from Dramatic Gold and Unbridled’s Song faded quickly, giving Cigar a chance to make up some ground on the far turn. Dramatic Gold cornered wide into the stretch, which forced Cigar out wider into the middle of track. Dramatic Gold was running the race of his life. But then, Cigar made that customary move horse racing fans had seen so often and, with some urging from Bailey, Cigar held off Dramatic Gold to cross the wire 3 1/2-lengths the best. Cigar had tied the great Citation with his 16th straight victory.
The crowd erupted and we didn’t stop stop making noise for over 20 minutes. The cheering only got louder as Cigar and Bailey entered the winner’s circle. Then, as if Cigar had just hit the game winning homerun in game seven of the World Series, there was curtain call after curtain call. We couldn’t get enough of this tremendous champion. Since the streak had begun on October 28, 1994, Cigar had raced from Hollywood Park, in California, to Nad Al Sheba, on the Persian Gulf. He had started 16 races, outrun 116 horses and won 16 straight times at eight different tracks.
That was it for me. Horse racing had me. As we filed out of Arlington Park, the crowd was still abuzz. Cigar paid $2.60 on a $2 win bet, so I didn’t exactly break the bank. But having realized I had just witnessed something special, I was on cloud nine. To this day, it remains one of the greatest sporting events I have ever attended. Cigar, Bailey and company would go on to Del Mar to try and break the record they shared with the legendary Citation. On August 10, 1996 (My 15th birthday), Cigar was beaten for the first time in almost two years. Dare and Go would cross the finish line 3 1/- lengths in front and, just like that, the streak was over. I was bummed but also grateful that this one of a kind race horse opened the door to the sport of horse racing for me.
Nowadays, there’s nothing I enjoy more than spending a day at the track. The sights, the sounds, the horses, the jockeys, the trainers, the horse players, the chance to hit a $2 million+ Rainbow Pick-6! Whenever I go back to Arlington, I think about that day back in 1996. I’ll confess, I fell in love with horse racing the moment I laid eyes on the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar.
