The Gustavo Rodriguez-trained Phileas Fogg will try to win his second Grade 2 race in five months when he leaves the starting gate in the 2025 Cigar Mile on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, N.Y. A $55,000 purchase two years ago, Phileas Fogg has earned $796,773 in his career, including $430,500 this year. For Saturday he has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the 2025 Cigar Mile odds. Bishops Bay (2-1), Crazy Mason (7-2), Doc Sullivan (5-1) and Pentathlon (10-1) round out the top five choices in the Cigar Mile field. Post time for the Cigar Mile is 3:37 p.m. ET.
With several talented horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you NEED to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2025 Cigar Mile picks or horse racing predictions, considering the roll he has been on since last year's Breeders' Cup.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta, which paid $1,268.20 for $2. In 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In May of last year, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. Unlock his 2025 Breeders' Futurity picks now and take 50% off with promo code JOCKEY.
Menez has been on a roll since last year's Breeders' Cup. He crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. He nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. Hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout.
And last month, Menez finished 115th out of 643 entries in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge, the biggest live-money handicapping tournament in the country.
Now, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Cigar Mile field and revealed his picks. We can tell you that Menez's top pick is not Phileas Fogg, even though he is the 9-5 favorite. "Phileas Fogg is the horse to beat, but the decision to run with blinkers for the first time is a curious one," Menez told SportsLine. "And I don't like the jockey switch to Joel Rosario." Menez is not using Phileas Fogg in any of his Cigar Mile wagers. Join SportsLine NOW to unlock his full 2025 Cigar Mile picks for 50% off with promo code JOCKEY.
Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who "could make things interesting down the stretch." Menez is including this horse in his 2025 Cigar Mile bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horse it is before making any 2025 Cigar Mile picks of your own.
So which horse wins the 2025 Cigar Mile? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2025 Cigar Mile picks and bets, all from the expert who nailed the Kentucky Derby exacta and trifecta. Take 50% off with promo code JOCKEY.
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