Cloning considered for Cigar

Thursday, March 13, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

"We're certainly looking into cloning," Allen Paulson told the New York Post for today's editions. Paulson has the right to buy Cigar back should the 7-year-old horse prove sterile.

Barry Simon, farm manager for Ashford Stud at Versailles, Ky., said last week 16 of 36 mares bred to Cigar had been tested and none was in foal. After Paulson retired Cigar last year, the horse was sent to Ashford Stud in a deal valued at $25 million. Cigar's stud fee is $75,000.

"There's no life in his sperm at all," Paulson told the Post. "They've checked over 20 mares, and all of them are barren. It's a big shock."

Scientists in Scotland who successfully cloned a sheep told the newspaper they don't know when, if ever, they will be able to clone a horse.

"It's been done once in sheep, and whether it's transferable to other species, we don't know yet," Dr. Harry Griffin of the Roslin Institute said. "Other attempts ... will be in cattle and then probably in pigs."

Dr. James Stewart of the American Association of Equine Practitioners told the Post there might be problems with a cloned horse's offspring.

"When the clones start to breed, they'll bring out recessive traits," Stewart said. "You'll open some problems you don't want to think about."

The Jockey Club, one of racing's governing bodies, bars the offspring of thoroughbreds impregnated by artificial insemination from competition. The rules do not specifically address cloning.

Cigar ended his career at age 6 as the richest horse ever, just shy of $10 million. He was retired to stud after he finished third in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 26 at Woodbine in Toronto.

It was his second consecutive loss and third in four races since the end of his record 16-race winning streak, which matched the modern record of Citation. The streak included a 10-for-10 record in 1995.

Cigar won an allowance race on Oct. 28, 1994, at Aqueduct, then didn't lose again until he was second to Dare And Go in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 10, 1996 at Del Mar.