Betting With, and Against, Mullikin in the Cigar Mile Handicap

A deep field of 11 will vie in Saturday’s lucrative $500,000 Cigar Mile H. (G2) at Aqueduct. The deserving favorite and horse to beat is the Grade-1 winning #5 Mullikin (3-1) for conditioner Bill Mott. Bred in the Bluegrass State, the son of Violence is 4-for-5 this campaign with his lone setback coming when finishing a very good third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar last time out. 

Mullikin – With

• $4 superfecta 5 with 1,7 with 1,7,10,11 with 1,7,10,11 ($48)

Mullikin – Against

• $1 superfecta 1,7,10,11 with 1,5,7,10,11 with 1,5,7,10,11 ($48)

Mullikin, who captured the Forego S. (G1) by a commanding 5 3/4 lengths at Saratoga in August, is excellent at seven panels and the one-turn mile seems ideal for his running style on this day. The colt will be an imposing force with something resembling his top performance with Flavien Prat retaining the ride. As much as I like the favorite, his competition will be stiff, however. 

One-turn dynamo #1 Book’em Danno (4-1) dons a 10-6-3-1 lifetime line to date led by a victory in the Woody Stephens S. (G1) at Saratoga in June. Trained by Derek Ryan, the sophomore has been well handled this campaign and has registered triple-digit Brisnet Speed numbers in four straight performances in advance of Saturday. The Bucchero gelding faces his elders for the initial time, but I feel that he is good enough to challenge the cast late beneath Irad Ortiz Jr. 

Mullikin, who captured the Forego S. (G1) by a commanding 5 3/4 lengths at Saratoga in August, is excellent at seven panels and the one-turn mile seems ideal for his running style on this day. The colt will be an imposing force with something resembling his top performance with Flavien Prat retaining the ride. As much as I like the favorite, his competition will be stiff, however. 

One-turn dynamo #1 Book’em Danno (4-1) dons a 10-6-3-1 lifetime line to date led by a victory in the Woody Stephens S. (G1) at Saratoga in June. Trained by Derek Ryan, the sophomore has been well handled this campaign and has registered triple-digit Brisnet Speed numbers in four straight performances in advance of Saturday. The Bucchero gelding faces his elders for the initial time, but I feel that he is good enough to challenge the cast late beneath Irad Ortiz Jr.