Codename Cigar Box breaks another all-age track record

Codename Cigar Box (Custard The Dragon) circled the field and paced the fastest mile in the history of Century Downs in the harness racing track’s Preferred on Saturday (Jul. 16).

Driver Kelly Hoerdt was content to trail through the opening quarter of :27.3 with the gelding. He then launched a first-over move as the field of five passed the grandstand and was a length adrift in second by the half in :56.

Codename Cigar Box dug into leader Tiempo Hanover (J. Brandon Campbell) as they battled down the backstretch and struck the front at five-eighths. Samba Beat (Phil Giesbrecht) then took up the attack and drew level as they hit three-quarters in 1:23.2. Hoerdt sent Codename Cigar Box into top gear as they rounded the turn, and the gelding sprinted home to score a fifth straight victory by two-and-a-half lengths in 1:51.1.

Samba Beat was a clear second. Shark Week (Michael Hennessy) finished third. The winner was sent off at 1/5.

CODENAME CIGAR BOX REPLAY

Codename Cigar Box also set the record for an aged stallion at Century Downs earlier this year but was since gelded. He is now the only horse on the books to hold a record for two different sexes at a single track in Canada. Boiling Oar set the previous all-age, all-sex standard of 1:51.2 in 2020.

Hoerdt trains and co-owns Codename Cigar Box with Fred Gilbert of Brandon and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont. It was the gelding’s fifth consecutive win, 11th in his past 12, and third straight at the Preferred level. He is 19-for-43 lifetime with $246,093 in earnings. The record-setting performance was also a lifetime best.

Century Downs also hosted a pair of two-year-old pacing dashes on the day.

Ponder No Longer (Smart Shark, Phil Giesbrecht) missed the gate by several lengths but grinded first-up from fifth and got his head up in the open dash for a debut victory. Cora Cora Cora (Captive Audience, Jamie Gray) was defeated in the photo. Over The Horizon (Vertical Horizon, Nathan Sobey) finished third.

PONDER NO LONGER REPLAY

Rodney Starkewski conditions Ponder No Longer and shares ownership with co-breeder Clauzette Byckal of Onoway. The colt is the first foal out of unraced The Panderosa mare Pan Neuf.

Dear John Im Gone (Vertical Horizon) also secured a first-start victory, popping the pocket nearing three-quarters and clearing Miss Moonshine (Vertical Horizon, Campbell) in the stretch for the win in 2:01.4. Captivatethecrowd (Captive Audience, Gray) closed to finish alongside Miss Moonshine in a dead heat for place.

DEAR JOHN IM GONE REPLAY

Dear John Im Gone is the first goal from Art Colony mare Lyons Jewels. She was a $2,000 ASHA Yearling Sale purchase. Jacques Lambert trains the filly for Julie Lambert and Catellier Bros Inc. of St. Malo

Racing returns to Century Downs on Friday, Jul. 22.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink