It was the sixth race on an ordinary Friday card in October at Aqueduct some 26 years ago and there was nothing to suggest that the $34,000 allowance event would ever have any relevance. Jose Santos was aboard the favorite, a recent allowance winner who started out at Suffolk Downs named Golden Plover. Julie Krone had the mount for Tom Skiffington on second-choice Taddarruj. The third choice in the field of six was a Bill Mott-trained 4-year-old making the switch over to dirt after a lackluster 11-race run on the turf. His name was Cigar.

 

Twenty-five years ago, Cigar put together a perfect 10-for-10 season, the centerpiece of a 16-race win streak that spanned three years. 

 

Bill Finley remembers the streak in this month’s TDN Look. 

 

Click here to read the story, and watch the 20-minute video remembrance.