Toffey hopeful G1 Cigar Mile can take Following Sea one step closer to stallion material
At 0h02, on December 4, 2021 • By AQUEDUCT
Spendthrift Farm’s Following Sea, a Kentucky homebred, will look to bolden his potential stallion credentials in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Following Sea defeated multiple graded stakes-winner Firenze Fire in the Grade 2 Vosburgh on October 9 at Belmont Park en route to a troubled third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar.
Following Sea had to steady in upper stretch of the Breeders’ Cup when a seam along the rail was closed off by pacesetting favorite Jackie’s Warrior, forcing Hall of Famer John Velazquez to angle the horse several paths wide. He made up enough ground to round out the trifecta at 20-1 odds, finishing 1 ½ lengths to Aloha West and Dr. Schivel.
“Take nothing away from the first and second horses because they obviously finished beautifully,” said Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey. “But if that hole stays open, he would have had to have his running shoes on. It would have been nice to see what would have happened. He looked poised to roll through there. He’s a horse who has shown us a lot of talent and shown he can run with the very best in the country. We always need a little luck in this game and with that, he’s more than capable of coming away with a win.”
After an open-length maiden score at Oaklawn Park for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Following Sea was transferred to Pletcher and made his debut for the stable a winning one, defeating winners going 6 ½ furlongs on June 3 over the Belmont main track.
Toffey said the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park could be one of the major goals for Following Sea’s 4-year-old season.
“Our goal is always hoping that any colt in our program can earn his way into our stallion barn. I think that’s what we’re looking to do with Following Sea, so his campaign will be shaped around that.” Toffey said.
Following Sea is out of the Speightstown mare Quick Flip, a stakes-winner during her juvenile season who also produced Gimmick, an Into Mischief filly, who broke her maiden this summer at Saratoga. Quick Flip is scheduled to be bred back to Into Mischief, who has been the leading sire for three years running.
