Codename Cigar Box handles step up, reaches milestone

Codename Cigar Box (Custard The Dragon) raised his career bankroll past half-a-million as he won his second straight harness racing contest in a class hike on Saturday (Jan. 20) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

It came as a surprise to most bettors, who let him go at 18-1. Travis Cullen pulled off the difficult task at the track of protecting rail positioning with the gelding. He blitzed the quarter in :26.4 to get there but backed it down to the half in :56.

Points North (Sylvain Filion) trudged along first-over but was still two lengths back at three-quarters in 1:24. Hp Momentum (Tyler Borth) wound up from the back and took flight in the last eighth of a mile, but he couldn’t catch Codename Cigar Box, who stopped the clock in 1:52.3 and won by three-quarters-of-a-length.

Hp Momentum was a clear second with Points North a further two-and-a-quarter lengths back in third.

CODENAME CIGAR BOX REPLAY

Codename Cigar Box pushed his lifetime earnings to $504,523 in his 105th start and 29th win. It was the gelding’s second upset in a row after his victory on Jan. 13 at 11-1. Jodie Cullen conditions the six-year-old for Paul Sanders of Surrey and A1stable and Ronald Cullen of Dundas.

Woodbine Mohawk Park races next on Monday, Jan. 22.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink