Cigar is also the name of one of the most famous
racehorses in recent history. Notable events in his career include:
- February 21, 1993--Cigar races for the first time, in Santa Anita Park.
- August 8, 1994--Cigar finishes third in his only appearance at Saratoga Raceway.
- October 28, 1994--Beginning an historic, record-tying 16-race winning streak, Cigar wins at the Aqueduct, racing for the last time under any jockey other than Jerry Bailey.
- October 28, 1995--One year after the beginning of the streak, Cigar wins $3 million in a stakes-record time in the Breeders Cup at Belmont Park.
- March 27, 1996--After traveling overseas to Nad Al Sheba in the United Arab Emirates, Cigar wins the Dubai World Cup.
- August 10, 1996--Cigar's streak ends at the Del Mar Race Course, as he took second in the Pacific Classic.
This node is an example of
noding what you don't know--I got all this information from the walls of
The Parting Glass, a tavern and dart hall in
Saratoga Springs, and the official website of Cigar, at http://www.cmgww.com/sports/cigar/index.html. Possibly because of my upbringing near Saratoga, horse racing has a sort of cultured, romantic feel to it, which may explain why I find its history
nodeworthy. One other point of interest--my assumption is that the reason behind the name of this horse comes from the common phrase, "
Close, but no cigar."