Post Time takes on four G1 winners in Saturday’s stacked G2 Cigar Mile

Hillwood Stable’s dual graded stakes-winning Maryland-bred millionaire Post Time tops a loaded 11-horse field for Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile presented by TwinSpires, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Brittany Russell and to be piloted once again by her husband Sheldon Russell, the 4-year-old Frosted colt will face four Grade/Group 1-winners in the one-turn mile handicap for 3-year-olds and up, while entering from an impressive rallying effort to finish second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on November 2 at Del Mar.

There, Post Time was unhurried in last-of-13 as Full Serrano pressed the pace of T O Saint Denis through splits of 22.30 seconds, 45.47 and 1:09.69 over the fast main track. Full Serrano took command at the quarter-pole and stayed on strong to the wire as Post Time, who was seventh at the stretch call, rallied four-wide to miss by 1 1/2-lengths in a final time of 1:35.48. The game effort registered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“That was a huge effort. We were delighted with the result. Sheldon gave him a great ride – good trip,” Brittany Russell said. “The winner ran huge that day and we just couldn’t get to him. Overall, we thought it was a huge race for Post Time, and it was good to see him run a big race like that and come out of it as good as he did.”

Post Time [post 11, Sheldon Russell, 124 pounds] won eight of his first nine starts that included making the grade in the seven-furlong Grade 3 General George in February at Laurel Park ahead of a neck victory over Castle Chaos in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets on April 6 here.

Post Time has worked back three times at Fair Hill, including a half-mile effort over the synthetic Saturday in 48.60 seconds.