October 8, 2014 
Thoroughbred legend Cigar passed away last night at the age of 24. According to the Kentucky Horse Park, Cigar died “from complications following surgery for severe osteoarthritis in some of the vertebra in his neck.”
Treasured are the moments in life in which you know you are seeing something great; transcendence that will be remembered and discussed forever, and it’s happening right now. You are a witness to history. It’s an empowering feeling.
One of those moments for me and countless others came courtesy of a horse named Cigar. Rarely does a horse steal front-page headlines and command the attention of the mainstream, but between the fall of 1994 through the summer of 1996, Cigar was an international celebrity. It was during this span the strapping bay won an astounding 16 races in a row at the sport’s highest level, a record he shares with the great Citation (and will almost certainly never be broken). His career earnings were just under $10 million, a record which stood until 2008 (Curlin).
He won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Hollywood Gold Cup, The Donn Handicap, the Woodward, The Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Dubai World Cup, just to name a few. He won in the West, he won in the East, even the Middle East…he was, as race announcer Tom Durkin so famously quipped: “the incomparable, invincible, unbeatable, Cigar!” In a sport where nothing is assured, Cigar was as reliable as a Cadillac. Ran like one, too. Just look at this turn-of-foot and all out power:
Cigar was bred in Maryland by aviation mogul and prominent horseman Allen Paulson, who owned the horse with his then wife, equestrian-extraordinaire Madeline Paulson (now Madeline Pickens).
His racing career commenced at age 3 on the California circuit where the colt won just 2 of 9 races, mostly running on the turf. At age 4 he was shipped east and to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott. Mott gave the colt a couple of months off, but still, Cigar was unable to breakthrough the allowance ranks. Looking for a spark, Mott decided to try Cigar on the dirt at Aqueduct in late October, 1994. Cigar won that race by eight lengths and would not lose again until August of 1996 when he finished 2nd in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
16 starts, 16 wins. Think about how often the best horse fails to win. Think about how many things can go wrong before and during a race. Think about professional greatness and a will to win.
Said Mott:”He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained. He may be the best horse anyone has ever trained.”
After the 1996 campaign and with certainly nothing left to prove, the 6-year-old Cigar was retired to stud. Paulson sold 75% of his stallion to the vaunted Coolmore Group for $25 million. He was bred to 34 mares that first season and yielded zero foals. The great Cigar, you see, was infertile.
So he soon found a new home at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions (aka: The Hall of Geldings and Infertility) where he enjoyed plush accommodations and turnout. He was a living, breathing homage not only to thoroughbreds and horse racing, but to the power of greatness. People from all corners flocked to the Horse Park to see him, just as they had done during his unprecedented racing career. He was an icon, after all. As indelible a figure of the 1990’s as Cobain, Clinton and Doc Marten.
Cigar ate it up. He was an absolute ham and relished the attention. He was the star of the show and he knew it. Just watch him in the first part of this video pose for the photographer:
I have made countless trips to the Kentucky Horse Park over the years and never left without first stopping by and stealing a moment with Cigar. Typically, you’d find him either in mid-roll, grazing or resting in his stall, but he always stopped and looked at you and acknowledged your presence, seemingly acknowledging his own brilliance in the process.
It’s an empowering feeling. That’s what the great ones do.
