Tonalist, Red Vine Please in Cigar Mile Drill

Trainer Christophe Clement was in good spirits Nov. 22 when discussing Tonalist and Red Vine, his dual threat for the $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (gr. I) Nov. 28 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

 

Working five furlongs in company on the Belmont Park main track Saturday, the duo completed a maintenance work and were in good order Sunday morning, according to Clement.

 

"It was a very good work yesterday," the trainer said. "They worked together five-eighths in like a minute and galloped out in 1:13. They both looked good this morning. The plan is to run both horses."

 

Multiple grade I winner Tonalist, coming off a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Oct. 31 at Keeneland, is set to make his second career start at Aqueduct, where he made his debut in November 2013. The 4-year-old son of Tapit   will also return to the mile distance and use blinkers for the first time since finishing second in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) June 6 at Belmont. 

 

Consistent miler Red Vine, a 5-year-old son of Candy Ride   who most recently finished third in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), has finished no worse than third at that distance on the dirt.

 

"It's a grade I in New York. It's going to be very tough, but I like the way each of them look," Clement said. "Tonalist will have blinkers back on and be ridden by John Velaquez, and Red Vine with Joel Rosario."

 

Clement said the plan is for both Tonalist and Red Vine to remain in training in 2016, but each would receive a break after the race.