Cigar Mile 2026 Schedule: What Time and How to Watch

Cigar Mile 2026 schedule: date and what time

The Cigar Mile 2026 is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The post time has not been announced yet, so there is no confirmed time in US Eastern or anywhere else.

NYRA usually publishes post times close to race day. We'll update this page as soon as the time is official.

For reference only: in 2025 post time for the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct was set for 3:37 p.m. ET. That was last year's time, not this year's.

How to watch

The TV and streaming plan for 2026 has not been announced. Here's what to know while you wait:

• Last year's pattern: in 2025, NYRA's America's Day at the Races carried Cigar Mile Day on FS2 from 2 to 5 p.m. ET. Expect something similar, but wait for the official listing.
• NYRA's own channels: NYRA posts race replays and live coverage on its sites and apps on race days.
• Outside the US: availability depends on local broadcasters and betting platforms. Check them the week of the race.

What the Cigar Mile is

The Cigar Mile is a one-mile race on dirt for horses 3 years old and up. NYRA's calendar lists it as a Grade 2 and marks the 2026 race as the 38th running.

It started in 1988 as the NYRA Mile, and the first winner was Forty Niner. In 1997 it was renamed for Cigar, who had won it in 1994 by seven lengths during his famous 16-race winning streak.

For a long time it was a Grade 1 race. It was downgraded to Grade 2 in 2023. If grades are new to you, our guide to what a Grade 1 race is explains the system.

Why 2026 is different

Every Cigar Mile through 2025 was run at Aqueduct. The 2025 edition was the last one at the Big A.

This year it moves to the rebuilt Belmont Park, where the fall meet opened September 18 with the Jockey Club Gold Cup and runs through December 6. That makes Cigar Mile Day one of the last big days of the meet, and a preview of the track that hosts the Breeders' Cup in 2027.

The purse

NYRA's December calendar lists a $500,000 purse, and recent race reports use the same figure. NYRA's fall stakes announcement listed $250,000, so check the final condition book if the exact amount matters to you.

The full Cigar Mile Day card

The feature isn't the only stakes race. NYRA's calendar lists five stakes on December 5:

• Cigar Mile (G2): 1 mile, 3-year-olds and up
• Remsen (G2): 1 1/8 miles, 2-year-olds, a key early test for next year's classics
• Demoiselle (G2): 1 1/8 miles, 2-year-old fillies
• Brooklyn (G2): 1 1/2 miles, 3-year-olds and up, added to the card this year
• Elite Power (G3): 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up

All five are on dirt. Race order and times have not been published.

The field so far

There is no official field yet. Entries are taken a few days before the race, so everything below is a plan, not a confirmed runner.

• Pentathlon: won the Grade 3 Forty Niner at Belmont on November 1 by 1 1/2 lengths, running the mile in 1:33.86. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said he will point the horse to the Cigar Mile. Pentathlon also ran in last year's edition.
• Ted Noffey: listed as possible on Horse Racing Nation's Cigar Mile tracker. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt won the 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
• Caldera: also listed as possible on the same tracker, for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Plans change fast in December. A horse can skip the race because of a workout, the weather or a better target.

Last year's result, for context

In 2025, Bishops Bay won by a neck over Mika for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Flavien Prat. His time was 1:34.62. Crazy Mason finished third.

What to watch for

• The new surface. This is the first Cigar Mile on Belmont's rebuilt dirt track. Watch whether speed holds or closers come running.
• One turn vs. two. A mile at Belmont is run around one turn. Horses that like a long straight run can shine.
• December weather. Rain or cold can turn the track sloppy or muddy. Check the track condition right before the race.
• Post-Breeders' Cup runners. Some horses come here after a quiet fall instead of a Breeders' Cup race. Fresh horses can have an edge.
• Next year's plans. Big winners here can aim next for winter races like the Pegasus World Cup or the Saudi Cup.

Planning checklist

1. Bookmark this page. We'll add the post time and TV listing as soon as NYRA confirms them.
2. Check the time zone. Belmont runs on US Eastern time. Convert carefully once the time is out.
3. Watch the entries. The field becomes official at the draw, a few days before the race.
4. Going in person? Dress warmly for a December afternoon in New York and check NYRA's site for gates and parking.
5. New to racing? Our glossary covers terms like post time, furlong and sloppy track.

For more racing stories, see Trends or our Champagne Stakes preview from the same Belmont meet.