CIGAR SPECIAL TO AIR ON ESPN AUG. 9

'Cigar's Race to History,' highlighting Cigar's pursuit of a record- breaking 17th consecutive victory, will air on ESPN, Friday, Aug. 9, from 10-10:30 p.m. (EDT). Hosted by Chris Lincoln and Tom Durkin, the special will chronicle Cigar's streak, preview his next start, the Aug. 10 Pacific Classic, and feature the connections of America's richest Thoroughbred: jockey Jerry Bailey, trainer Bill Mott and owner Allen Paulson. Also included will be look back at Citation, whose 16 straight victories from 1948-50 is the record Cigar will be attempting to break.

'This clearly is one of the top sports stories of the year,' said John Wildhack, senior vice president at ESPN, 'and certainly one of the biggest events ever in Thoroughbred racing.'

The Pacific Classic will be televised live on ESPN's 'Racing to the Breeders' Cup' series, Aug. 10, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. (EDT).

'TALE OF THE TAPE' TELLS STORY OF CIGAR VS. CITATION

Saturday's Pacific Classic at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., will give Cigar his chance to surpass Citation's record of 16 consecutive wins. A 'tale of the tape' for the two champions appears below.

	Birthdate: (Cigar) April 18, 1990; (Citation) April 11, 1945.
	Place of birth: (Cigar) Maryland; (Citation) Kentucky.
	Sire: (Cigar) Palace Music; (Citation) Bull Lea.
	Dam: (Cigar) Solar Slew; (Citation) Hydroplane II.
	Color: (Cigar) Bay; (Citation) Bay.
	Career earnings: (Cigar) $8,819,815; (Citation) $1,085,760.
	Career record: (Cigar) 29-18-2-4; (Citation) 45-32-10-2.
	Career stakes wins: (Cigar) 14; (Citation) 24.
	Stakes wins during streak: (Cigar) 14; (Citation) 13.
	Record at 1 1-4 miles on dirt: (Cigar) 5-5-0-0; (Citation) 7-5-2-0.
	Height at Shoulder: (Cigar) 16-3 (5 ft.-7 in.); (Citation) 16-0 (5 
ft.-4 in.).
	Weight: (Cigar) 1,024 lbs.; (Citation) 1,075 lbs.
	Girth: (Cigar) 71 inches; (Citation) 74 inches.
	Dates of streak: (Cigar) Began Oct. 28, 1994; (Citation) April 17, 
1948-Jan. 26, 1950.
	Age over course of streak: (Cigar) 4-6 years of age; (Citation) 3, 5 
years of age (Citation did not race as a 4-year-old).
	Races won: (Cigar) 16; (Citation) 16.
	Number of times the odds-on favorite during streak: (Cigar) 12, 
(does not include one non-betting race, the Dubai World Cup); 
(Citation) 15, (does not include one non-betting event, a walkover in 
the Pimlico Invitational Special Stakes of 1948).
	Awards: (Cigar) Champion Older Horse, 1995; Horse of the Year, 1995; 
first North American horse to top $8 million in earnings; (Citation) 
Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, 1947; Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, 1948; 
Best Three-Year-Old, 1948; Best Handicap Horse, 1948; Horse of the 
Year, 1948; first horse to top $1 million in earnings.
	Largest margin of victory: (Cigar) 8 lengths; (Citation) 11 lengths.

	Smallest margin of victory: (Cigar) 1-2 length; (Citation) 1 length.

	Different tracks: (Cigar) 9; (Citation) 9.
	Highest weight carried: (Cigar) 130; (Citation) 126.
	Lowest weight carried: (Cigar) 111; (Citation) 117.
	Money earned during streak: (Cigar) $8,720,200; (Citation) $647,595.

GAMBLIN' ROSE HAMBURGER GOES OUT A WINNER

Rose Hamburger, the world's oldest professional handicapper, died Tuesday, Aug. 6 following a brief bout of pneumonia. She was 105. Hamburger, who had been hired by the 'New York Post' as a handicapper, went out a winner -- her last selection for the newspaper was Capote Belle, who won The Test Stakes at Saratoga July 27.

Prior to her job with 'The Post,' Hamburger enjoyed a career as a real estate agent in Baltimore. While living in Maryland, Hamburger witnessed 73 consecutive runnings of the Preakness Stakes, from 1915 to 1988, and is believed to be the only person to do so. She placed her first bet on a horse race in 1910 while on vacation in Germany. On Dec. 29, 1995, her 105th birthday, Hamburger was hired by 'The Post' to make a daily 'best bet' selection.

Because of her unique position as the world's oldest handicapper, Hamburger received a great deal of attention from the media, appearing on 'Thoroughbred World,' 'The Late Show with David Letterman' and CNN. The secret to her long life, she told Tom Durkin in an interview for 'Thoroughbred World,' was 'hard work and a clean life.'

BEST PAL TO LEAD THE WAY IN THE PACIFIC CLASSIC

Best Pal will return to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club to lead the post parade in Saturday's $1 million Pacific Classic. Best Pal, who was officially retired March 2, won the 1991 Pacific Classic as a three- year-old. He has been galloping on the California track all this week in preparation for his assignment.

CARR DE NASKRA OFFSPRING FINISH ONE, TWO, THREE AND LAST IN RACE

In an event that is believed to be only the second of its kind in Thoroughbred racing history, offspring of one stallion finished one, two, three in a race. Carr Tech, Carrbine Special and Naskra's Ferrari swept the top three places in the New York Derby at the Finger Lakes Racetrack on Aug. 3. All three horses were sired by Carr de Naskra, who was himself a multiple graded stakes winner. An offspring of Carr de Naskra also finished last in the New York Derby.

The only other time offspring of one stallion were the top three finishers in a race occurred July 23, 1947 when Early Edition, Hunter's Sun and Brown Jewel, all progeny of the stallion Hunter's Moon IV, achieved the feat at Hollywood Park.

LIFE-SIZED STATUE OF CIGAR COMMISSIONED BY GULFSTREAM

Kentucky artist Cindy Wolf has been commissioned to create a life- sized bronze statue of Cigar, which will be unveiled next year in Gulfstream Park's Garden of Champions. The Hallandale, Fla., racetrack is the site of four of Cigar's triumphs in his 16-race win streak. The Garden of Champions currently features 86 bronze plaques dedicated to champions who have raced at Gulfstream Park since 1944. Cigar will be the only horse to be immortalized with a life-sized statue.

CIGAR, THE BOOK, COMING TO STORES IN OCTOBER

'Cigar: America's Horse,' a book chronicling the incredible winning streak of the popular Thoroughbred, will arrive in bookstores in early October. Written by Jay Hovdey, the book will delve into the lives of the equine superstar and his connections: owner Allen Paulson, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Jerry Bailey. The book is to be published by The Blood-Horse, Inc. and will retail for $29.95. A leather-bound collector's edition limited to 500 signed and numbered copies will also be produced.

Also available this fall will be the official 1997 Cigar calendar, published by the Russell Meerdink Company. The 12-inch by 12-inch calendar will feature 12 color photographs of the Horse of the Year taken by a variety of photographers, along with Cigar trivia and important milestones from his career. The calendar will go on sale at racetracks, gift shops and tack stores on Sept. 30 and will sell for $15.95.

CALDER GROOM FINISHES 75TH IN OLYMPIC MARATHON

Ron Holassie, a groom at Miami's Calder Race Course, finished 75th in the Aug. 4 Olympic Marathon with a time of 2:27.20. Holassie had been plagued by Achilles tendon problems for several weeks while training in Atlanta, forcing him to change his focus from winning a medal to just being able to compete in the event. After racing within striking distance early in the race, Holassie was forced to drop out of serious medal contention due to the injury.

NEW BOOK SHOWS BEAUTY OF SARATOGA THROUGH PHOTOS

'Saratoga, an Equine Tradition,' is a newly released book that shows the beauty of Saratoga Race Course and its Thoroughbreds through the photographs of Tom Killips. The photos chosen for the 96-page hard cover book were selected from the thousands Killips took while covering the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., scene as staff photographer for the Record Newspapers in Troy, N.Y.

IT'S HUMAN VS. HORSE AT HOOSIER PARK

After the Olympics, most sports fans probably think they've witnessed every kind of track event imaginable, but they're wrong. On Saturday, Aug. 10, Hoosier Park, in Anderson, Ind., will stage a unique kind of race. The track's chaplain, Vince Banker, will challenge a harness horse in a race on the main track. Banker, an avid runner, will run 1-8 mile while the horse will run 1-4 mile. Each can cover their respective distances in about 31 seconds. There will be no wagering on the race.

THOROUGHBRED OWNERS FORM MAJOR LEAGUE

A group of prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owners, including Allen Paulson, announced at Del Mar Racecourse, Del Mar, Calif., on Aug. 8 they have established a Major League within the sport. The new league was named the National Thoroughbred Association (NTA). The group will work with racetracks to package the highest quality of racing on the weekends in order to draw the largest numbers of fans. The NTA will then sell the off-track television and wagering signals at a premium, and as a result, raise purses and payments to facilities. Hamilton Jordan, former President Jimmy Carter's chief of staff, will serve as an adviser to the new formed NTA.

RACING ON THE AIR

Aug. 8 'Racehorse Digest' 2:30-3:00 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 9 'Cigar's Race to History' 10:00-10:30 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 10 'Racehorse Digest' 6:00-6:30 a.m. ESPN
Aug. 10 Pacific Classic, Del Mar and Sword Dancer Handicap, Saratoga 6:00-7:00 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 10 '2Day at the Races' 7:00-7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Aug. 14 'Racehorse Digest' 3:30-4:00 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 15 'Racehorse Digest' 2:30-3:00 a.m. ESPN
Aug. 17 'Racehorse Digest' 6:00-6:30 a.m. ESPN

RACING TO HISTORY

Aug. 8, 1970 Jockey Bill Shoemaker won his 6,000th career victory aboard Shining Count at Del Mar.

Aug. 8, 1987: Kent Desormeaux set the record for most number of stakes wins by an apprentice jockey, 13, aboard King's Snow in the Primer Stakes at Pimlico. The previous record, 10, was held by Steve Cauthen.

Aug. 10, 1982: Mary Russ became the first female rider to surpass the $1 million mark in earnings when she finished third aboard Bammer in the fourth race at Saratoga.

Aug. 11, 1972: In preparation for his stakes-racing debut, the Aug. 16 Sanford at Saratoga, Secretariat worked five furlongs in :59.

Aug. 13, 1919: Upset scored a win against Man o' War in the Sanford Memorial Stakes at Saratoga. The defeat was Big Red's only loss in 21 starts.

Aug. 13, 1951: At odds of 2-1, Greentree Stable's Tom Fool won his maiden race by four lengths at Saratoga.

Aug. 14, 1942: One of racing's oddities occurred at Saratoga when Rurales and Joe Burger finished in a dead-heat for first place, giving trainer W.O. Hicks, who saddled both horses, two winners in one race.

Aug. 15, 1972: The 15-race winning streak of England's Brigadier Gerard was ended by John Galbreath's American-bred Roberto, ridden to a three-length victory by Braulio Baeza in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York Racecourse. Brigadier Gerard, who finished second in the Gold Cup, went on to post two more victories before retiring with a record of 18-17-1-0.

Aug. 15, 1987: Kent Desormeaux began his career as a journeyman jockey.

Aug. 16, 1930: Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox was beaten by 110-1 shot Jim Dandy in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

Aug. 16, 1954: Native Dancer concluded his 22-race career with a victory in the Oneonta Handicap, a non-betting exhibition race at Saratoga Racecourse that he won by nine lengths while carrying 137 pounds. Although he raced only three times in 1954, Native Dancer was subsequently voted Horse of the Year, partly because he had been denied that honor in the previous year, despite having won nine of 10 races, all of them stakes. Tom Fool, 1953 Horse of the Year, had had a perfect 10-for-10 record.

Aug. 16, 1965: John Longden rode his 6,000th winner, riding Prince Scorpion to victory while at Exhibition Park.

Aug. 16, 1972: Secretariat won his first stakes race, the Sanford Stakes, at Saratoga Racecourse. The time for the six-furlong race was 1:10, the fastest time of the Saratoga meet that year.

Aug. 17, 1977: Jockey Steve Cauthen rode Affirmed for the first time, winning the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse by 2 3-4 lengths.

Aug. 18, 1961: Trainer Dale Baird saddled his first winner, New York, at Ellis Park.

Pacific Classic, 3yo and up, $1,000,000, 1 1-4 miles, Grade I, Del Mar
Cigar's toughest opponent may be history as he attempts to break the modern record for consecutive victories by an American-based horse with his 17th straight win. Citation won 16 straight in 1948 and 1950 before being beaten by a neck in his first attempt at carrying 130 pounds. Unlike Cigar's two previous wins in the Massachusetts Handicap and the Arlington Citation Challenge, he will not have to carry 130 pounds. The conditions of the race call for all to carry 124 pounds. Cigar will face a new challenger in the form of Siphon. The Brazilian-bred wired the field in the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup. Tinners Way disappointed in the Hollywood Gold Cup but has won the last two runnings of the Pacific Classic and his trainer Bobby Frankel has won the last four runnings. Dramatic Gold will try Cigar again after a second-place finish in the Arlington Citation Challenge.

Luthier Fever will pick up something extra for battling Cigar, as he is the sole recipient of a $500,000 bonus. The Pacific Classic will round out the first year of the MGM Classic Crown with the other two races being the Santa Anita Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup. To be eligible for the $500,000 Participation Bonus, a horse must start in all three races. Luthier Fever is the only horse that will do so.

Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap, 3 and up, $250,000, 1 1-2 miles (turf), Grade I, Saratoga
The Sword Dancer will feature the same three horses that gave fans an exciting stretch duel in the Grade II Bowling Green Handicap last month at Belmont. Flag Down nosed out English stakes winner Broadway Flyer with Grade I stakes winner Diplomatic Jet only a head behind. The extra furlong of the Sword Dancer will also attract Lassigny, winner of the Grade I Rothman's International last year, and Vladivostok, winner of the Grade III Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap at Arlington.

La Jolla Handicap, 3yo, $125,000, 1 1-16 miles (turf), Grade III, Del Mar
Roar makes his grass debut in the La Jolla for new trainer Richard Mandella. Roar won the Grade II Jim Beam Stakes and Grade III Swale Stakes on dirt earlier in the year. Semoran won the Remington Park Derby and tries turf after trailing in dirt stakes at Hollywood. Caribbean Pirate and Ambivalent both won divisions of the Oceanside Stakes on opening day at Del Mar. Belair Cozz and Troysend were stakes-placed in Europe.

Arlington Heights Oaks, 3yo fillies, $125,000, 1 1-8 miles, Grade III, Arlington

Rancho Bernardo Breeders' Cup Handicap, 3 and up, $100,000, 6 1-2 furlongs, Grade III, Del Mar

Sorority Stakes, 2yo fillies, $150,000, 6 furlongs, Grade III, Monmouth

Thistledown Breeders' Cup Stakes, 3 and up, $150,000, 1 1-8 miles, Thistledown

Saratoga Budweiser Breeders' Cup Stakes, 3 and up (fillies and mares), $200,000, 1 1-16 miles (turf), Grade III, Saratoga

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