Cigar Mile, Derby and Oaks Preps Headlineโ Busy Weekend of Horse Racing
A packed โคweekend of horseโค racing features the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at โAqueduct, alongside several key preps for next year’s Kentucky Derby and โฃkentucky Oaks, and internationalโ competition across Japanโ and Hong Kong.
At Tampa โคBay Downs, Saturday’s $125,000 Sandpiper, a 6-furlong sprint, โขis expected to be highly competitive. Morning line oddsโฃ suggest a close race wiht 6-5 favorite, followed by Himka โฃat 5-2 and Consequent at 3-1. Doug O’Neill will saddle Cosmic heat and Cashed,โ while Peter Miller enters Jewiz. Baffert fillies have won the โฃSandpiper the last eight years and 11 times in total.
Aqueduct also hostsโข the $250,000 Grade โIIIโ elite Power Stakes on Saturday. Allowance-level horses will compete for black type and a substantial purse, facing challenges from Full Moon Madness and possibly Subrogate, both with experience at higher levels.
Sunday’s $150,000 Garland of Roses at Aqueduct features nine entries, with several horses looking to advance from state-bred success in โwhatโค is anticipated to be a less competitive field.
Internationally, the Grade 1 Champions Cup, formerly the Japan Cup Dirt, takes place Sunday at Chukyo Racecourse. The field includes veteran competitors like Meisho Hario, โข8, who finishedโ second in his โคlast โstart, and Wilson Tesoro, โฃ6, โขa two-time runner-upโ in the race. Promising 3-year-olds Luxor Cafรฉ, a Kentucky Derbyโ contestant;โ W Heart Bond, with six wins in seven starts; and Narukami, victor in five of six โคraces, will also compete.
In Hong Kong, a highly anticipated jockeyโข competition at Happy Valley Racecourse on wednesday draws notable attention. Ryan moore returns to actionโ afterโ recovering from aโค broken leg and is โbooked to ride for โtrainerโ Aidan โขO’Brien in the Longines Hong Kong international Races on Dec. 14. The competition includesโฃ James McDonald, recently โขnamed Longines World’s Best Jockey for 2025, โฃand past winners Mickael Barzalona, Vincent Ho, Zacโข Purton, Joao Moreira, Hugh Bowman, and Christophe Lemaire, alongside william Buick, Hollie Doyle, Rachel King and Umbertoโค Rispoli.