Classic Winner Cigar Had Illegal Shoes, Frankel Says

ELMONT, N.Y. — If Tinners Way had finished second to Cigar on Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park, the track’s three stewards would have been forced to arbitrate a foul claim against the winner.

“There would have been a beef,” Bobby Frankel said at his barn Sunday morning. Frankel, who trains Tinners Way, complained Saturday, a few minutes before the horses were scheduled to leave the paddock for the $3-million race, that Cigar, the 3-5 favorite, was wearing illegal shoes.

As it was, Cigar continued his unobstructed procession to a certain horse-of-the-year title with a 2 1/2-length victory, breaking the Classic record for 1 1/4 miles with a 1:59 2/5 clocking over a muddy track. Tinners Way finished seventh while Cigar was extending his winning streak to 12 races, 10 this year, and earning $1.56 million to send his total purses over the $5.8-million mark. Only the retired Alysheba, with $6.5 million, and John Henry, with $6.5 million, have earned more.

“Cigar was right next to me [before the race],” Frankel said Sunday, “and he had turndowns on his back feet.”

Turndown shoes, which are like cleats, were banned at New York tracks a couple of years ago, and Breeders’ Cup rules for Saturday’s seven races also prohibited their use.

After Frankel’s complaint before the race, the stewards had the shoes examined by a Belmont blacksmith and they permitted Cigar to compete.

But Frankel said he was told by the blacksmith that Cigar’s rear shoes would be filed off when the horse reached the starting gate.

“The guy told me that he didn’t want to cause a commotion in the paddock,” Frankel said. “But then nothing was done.”

Terry Meyocks, director of racing at Belmont, said there was a second blacksmith at the gate who was available to work on the shoes if an irregularity had been detected.

Cigar’s trainer, Bill Mott, said Cigar has been wearing this type of shoe all year, and referred to Frankel as a “crybaby.”

Said Meyocks: “What it boiled down to was whether Cigar’s shoes were turndowns or something else. Frankel thought they were illegal.”

Mott referred to the horse’s shoes as “trailers,” which are an open-ended extension that’s about a half-inch longer than the normal shoe.

Frankel questioned whether Cigar wore the same shoes for his victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 2. Turndowns are also illegal in California.

Mott appeared to be irritated by the last-minute examination of Cigar’s shoes, which resulted in the horse being the last of the 11 Classic starters to reach the track.

Frankel took exception to being called a “crybaby.”

“Why call me a crybaby?” he said. “The rules are the rules. A horse of mine was wearing toegrabs at Santa Anita last week and got scratched because they’re illegal. I know they’re not supposed to use them, but the stewards were right and I had no argument with them. Somebody in my barn made a mistake and they heard from me about it.

“Last year in the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs, a couple of trainers, Rodney Rash and Wesley Ward, showed up in the paddock [with horses] wearing jar caulks. They’re not allowed, so the horses were stripped of them right there in the paddock. I was just protecting [myself] Saturday. I like Allen Paulson [Cigar’s owner], but I owed it to Juddmonte Farms [which races Tinners Way] to complain if I see a rule being ignored.

“Crybaby? I’ve never been called that, because I’m not a crybaby. I’m a guy who calls a spade a spade, and that doesn’t make you a crybaby. If I had waited to complain after the race, then I would have been a crybaby.”

Frankel said he had trouble sleeping Saturday night.

“I was worrying about whether I did the right thing, on racing’s big day,” he said.

Trainer Nick Zito, who finished fifth in the Classic with Star Standard, agreed that it was proper for Frankel to complain.

“Look,” Zito said, “I train for Mr. Paulson too, so I’ll be the last guy to complain about the shoes one of his horses wears. But Bobby Frankel shouldn’t be crucified for saying what he said about turndowns. Those are just the rules.”

Had Frankel claimed foul after the race, the stewards would have been reminded of an incident a couple of years ago involving a horse trained by John Parisella. The horse won a race, but the trainer whose horse ran second, Neil Terracciano, protested because he said Parisella’s horse was wearing turndowns. The purse was taken away from the winner and Parisella was fined $2,500.

“I would have protested Saturday even if my own brother had done it,” Frankel said. “I would have [used turndowns] myself if they’d been legal. My horse hated the track, and maybe the turndowns would have helped him run better.”

Because of the rain and the mud, Bill Mott was also wearing special shoes Saturday. They cost $22, and were purchased at a discount store in Louisville, Ky.

Horse Racing Notes

Cigar will be sent to Payson Park in Florida for a rest before his owner and trainer map out a campaign for 1996. The $4-million Dubai Cup on March 27 and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, at Woodbine in November, are the major objectives. . . . Inside Information, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, has been retired and will be bred next year. . . . Her stablemate, Heavenly Prize, who was second in the Distaff, will run twice against males this winter at Gulfstream Park, in the Donn and Gulfstream Handicaps, and then be bred. . . . Frank Lyons, who trains Desert Stormer, the Sprint winner, and Joanne Nor, who owns the 5-year-old mare, are weighing whether to retire the horse or run her this winter at Santa Anita. “She’s done just about everything you could ask a horse to do,” Nor said. . . . Unbridled’s Song, winner of the Juvenile, will begin his road to the Kentucky Derby in Florida, and then probably run in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. . . . Ridgewood Pearl, the Irish horse who won the Mile, almost didn’t get to the race. At 1:20 a.m. Saturday, she was cast in her stall, unable to get up. “We were lucky that some security men from Godolphin Stables heard the racket,” trainer John Oxx said. “They were able to get her up, and for that we’re very grateful.”