GOLDEN GLIMPSES #49 GOLDEN GLIMPSES #49 CIGAR GETS STANDING OVATION FROM CONQUEROR MANDELLA
Some rival trainers might express relief over Cigar's retirement.
Not Richard Mandella.
A caring, sensitive, thoughtful human being as well as a successful world-class trainer, Mandella knows racing will miss Cigar, whose 16-race winning streak was ended by Mandella with Dare and Go in the Pacific Classic.
"Should he be Horse of the Year? I think he deserves it," Mandella said without hesitation. "Not only that, but I think racing owes Mr. (Allen) Paulson and Bill Mott and everyone associated with Cigar a standing ovation.
"To be as sporting as they were, to ship him around so the people could see him, and to keep him in training consistently at his peak, I mean, what more could you ask? The worst he ran was third (in the Breeders' Cup Classic), beaten a head.
"He never ran a bad race, and his people knew the risks they were taking by running him as often as they did. They could have kept him in a glass jar and run three times this year.
"But they took him to Dubai, they took him to Massachusetts, to Chicago, to California, to Canada, even Madison Square Garden. How great is that?
"It's human nature for people to criticize, but that's OK. I won't knock that or even worry about it. But now that Cigar's career is all over, let's look at it for what it was -- a very sporting effort by people who had nothing to win and everything to lose."
GOLDEN PICKS
BEAU'S TRIBUTE -- Wide throughout in first start in more than two months, but still finished second. Tight enough now to handle allowance turf milers.
EVER AND EVER -- Showed good zip in debut for Mike Harrington, despite a rail trip. Shouldn't tarry long among maiden claimers.
NICKOLARDIAN -- First-time starter from Walter Greenman barn broke slowly but made up huge deficit to be beaten less than a length. Won't be a maiden long versus $32,000 types, but don't expect 8-1 next time.
THE HOMESTRETCH: Alex Solis is fortunate to be back safe and sound in the good old U.S. of A after a nightmarish trip to his native Panama to visit his ailing grandfather. "I was supposed to leave on a United flight Sunday night from LAX to El Salvador," the 32-year-old jockey related. "From El Salvador, it was going to Costa Rica, and from there on to Panama. But on the way, a guy on the plane suffered a stroke, and after two hours in the air, we had to make an emergency stop in Mexico. But as we approached, the guy died. When we landed, the Mexican authorities didn't want to take the body and we were detained five hours. By now, it's 4 o'clock Monday morning. Finally, we get ready to take off, supposedly to El Salvador, but the captain says we have to go to Costa Rica because of some law. Well, the people from El Salvador went bananas. They wanted to go to El Salvador, not all the way to Costa Rica. So we had to wait another 45 minutes because they didn't want to sit down. Finally, the Mexican authorities said if they didn't allow the plane to take off, they'd all be thrown in jail. So they took their seats and we flew to Costa Rica, but by that time, I had missed both of my flights from there to Panama. The next flight was 4 o'clock Monday afternoon, and that one was delayed five hours. I was supposed to have been in Panama around noon Monday, but wound up there at midnight." It wasn't much better coming home. "I was supposed to get back Wednesday night, but the air controllers in Panama City were on strike and all flights were canceled. The next day, only one flight was leaving and that was on Panamanian Airlines to Mexico. Everybody was trying to get out, and I had to talk to a friend who knew somebody to get me on that flight." Solis finally got back to LAX around 8 o'clock Thursday night. The good news is that his grandfather, Otile, is doing well. "I have to pray that he'll keep fighting. He told me, 'Don't worry, Alex, I will. I'm going to stick around for a long time.' You know, I've flown to Japan and Saudi Arabia, but never had an experience like this one. This was an adventure." . . . Jay Cohen, horn blower at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Fairplex Park, has written a knee-slapping racing song called "Win, Place and Show." The tune was penned with Cohen's music-writing partner, Frank Loren. "It's a country song, but I'm hoping it has mass appeal," says Cohen, whose goal is to have the song performed by a major artist, gain air time, and ultimately create interest in racing . . . Kimberley Andrews of Pacific Beach e-mails: "I really enjoy your column, the best, most enjoyable on and off the 'net." Shucks, I'm blushing . . . Gary Stevens will be in Hong Kong Dec. 1-8, to ride in three stakes horses, including Breeders' Cup Mile winner Da Hoss and Comininalittlehot, a multiple stakes winner after being claimed for $80,000 last February by Mike Mitchell . . . Nick Cosato, who handles business for Paul Toscano, is booking mounts for English apprentice Royston Ffrench, a newcomer who spells his name with two F's . . . Add Golden winners: Turbo Fan, two straight at $4.20 and $7.60, and Irish and Foxy, led throughout on return to turf at $13 . . . Veteran agent Vince DeGregory, a veritable plethora of information, is replete with memories and mementos. "I even know the name of the unknown soldier," says Vince.
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