Itsmyluckyday looks to go out on a high note Saturday when he faces eight rivals in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap, the feature on an Aqueduct card which features four graded stakes. Bound for stud duty at Spendthrift Farm after the race, Itsmyluckyday will be competing for a $750,000 purse as a previous Grade 1 winner of the Woodward on August 30.
A sliding purse scale was introduced for last year's Cigar Mile, whereby Grade 1 winners compete for $750,000 and Breeders' Cup winners for $1 million. The base purse for the remainder of the field is $500,000.
Aside from a season-opening fourth in the Gulfstream Park Handicap, Itsmyluckyday has been a gem of consistency throughout the year. In addition to a career-best triumph in the nine-furlong Woodward at Saratoga, the son of Lawyer Ron has won three other stakes and placed in the Whitney. However, the four-year-old is seeking to rebound off a dull third in the Kelso Handicap where he was the odds-on favorite.
"He came out a little bit tired, but soundness-wise he was fine," trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said. "We decided to bypass the Breeders' Cup, and point to the (Cigar Mile) instead. I think his performance in the Kelso was a combination of factors. (The Whitney and Woodward) took a toll on him physically, and he was put in a position between horses (in the Kelso) and was bounced around. Everyone expected him to win, but that's why they call it horse racing."
Exiting the Breeders' Cup Sprint are Secret Circle, who finished a half-length second in his title defense of that race at Santa Anita on November 1, and Private Zone, who ran third that day after gutting out a repeat victory by a neck in the September 27 Vosburgh at Belmont. Private Zone was a 32-1 second to Flat Out in the 2013 Cigar Mile. Bourbon Courage, who passed nine horses in the final furlong to finish fourth in the Sprint, is seeking his first stakes win since taking the 2012 Super Derby.
Vyjack, who upset the Kelso by a length, owns a three-for-four mark over the Aqueduct main track, but was also successful over the inner dirt in the 2013 editions of the Jerome and Gotham. Another horse for the course is the New York-bred Big Business, who has fallen a little short in several stakes this year including the Forego at Saratoga.
Regally Ready, a past winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, has won six of nine this year, including three stakes in succession on both dirt and turf. Stakes winner Transparent enters off an September 18 allowance score at Belmont off an eight-month layoff, while the three-year-old Noble Moon has been unplaced four times since taking the Jerome on the inner dirt.
Dame Dorothy, who defeated older mares last month in the Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Belmont, puts her undefeated four-for-four record on the line against fellow three-year-old fillies in the Grade 3, $400,000 Comely at 1 1/8 miles.
Catch My Drift, a half-length behind Dame Dorothy last time, is back for a rematch. Others of note are Penwith, third in the 2013 Demoiselle and the Indiana Oaks last time; multiple Grade 2-placed House Rules, a six-length allowance winner at the Big A earlier this month; and the Grade 3-placed allowance winner Divided Attention.
Empire Distaff winner and Mother Goose runner-up Princess Violet was cross-entered to Friday's Go for Wand Handicap, as was Snowbell, an 8 1/2-length allowance winner at Belmont most recently.