Citation and Cigar: Two Winners

decades ago. "He went down to Florida to fish in the Keys. A storm came up and drowned him. I called Eddie Arcaro. I said it him, 'How would you like to get on the [Kentucky] Derby winner?"

The race at the Maryland six weeks before the Derby came up muddy. Citation broke on top, but Arcaro took him back to third. Jones had told Arcaro, "Remember, the main thing is, this is the stepping stone to the Derby. I'd rather get beat if you have to knock him out of the Derby to win."

Citation lost by a length to Saggy when forced wide going six furlongs. He didn't lose another race in 16 outings. Arcaro was aboard 14 of those victories.

Cigar tied the 16-race North American record in a $1 million stakes at Arlington International Race Course, located outside of Chicago, on July 13, 1996. More than 34,000 turned out.

It was appropriately called the Arlington Citation Challenge. Jerry Bailey rode Cigar to victory in 15 straight races after Mike Smith was aboard when the streak started with an allowance win at Aqueduct Race Course.

I saw both horses race at least once.

In the summer of '48, my father took a wide-eyed 13-year-old to old Arlington Park, where Citation defeated 20 older horses in the Stars and Stripes Handicap.

I saw Cigar win his fourth straight race on Feb. 11, 1995, when all eyes at Gulfstream Park were on '94 Horse of the Year Holy Bull. They were neck and neck down the backstretch in the Donn Handicap when Holy Bull went lame and was pulled up with a career-ending injury. I saw Cigar win the Donn again a year later.

Each champion has been good for horse racing.

Horse racing sure could use another champion in the 21st Century.

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