Private Zone leads all the way to take Cigar Mile

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Ozone Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Private Zone, ridden by Martin Pedroza, took the lead out of the gate and was never challenged to win Saturday's $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Trained by Alfredo Velazquez, Private Zone broke sharply from the inside post in the nine-horse field and immediately went to the front and controlled the pace. Sent off at 9-2, Private Zone was stalked by 13-1 longshot Regally Ready and 5-2 favorite Secret Circle, runner-up in this year's Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Private Zone increased his advantage down the stretch and went on to post a five-length victory over Secret Circle with Bourbon Courage getting third.

"He was great," the winning trainer said. "That was the way I was expecting him to run because he was training super. I worked him here the other day and it was (the slowest) track I have ever seen, and he worked 1:01 and 4/5 (seconds)."

Completing the order of finish were Big Business, Vyjack, Noble Moon, Regally Ready, Transparent and Itsmyluckyday.

The time for the Mile was 1:34.39 on a fast track.

Owned by Good Friends Stable, Private Zone tallied his seventh career win just one year after finishing second in the Cigar Mile behind Flat Out. The 5- year-old gelding earned $450,000 with the win and has now banked $1,521,820 in 25 lifetime starts.

The purse for the race was boosted by $250,000 because there were Grade I race winners in the field, including Private Zone.

Private Zone was third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint behind Work All Week and Secret Circle four weeks ago. Two months ago at Belmont Park he won his second straight Vosburgh in just his second start of the year. His first start this season came on Sept. 1 on the grass when he finished fourth in the Turf Monster at Parx Racing.

Private Zone returned $11.60, $5.80 and $4.10. Secret Circle paid $4.60 and $3.30, and Bourbon Courage paid $4.10 to show.