LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (CMC): Jamaican jockey Shaun Bridgmohan got the best out of 2-1 chance Cigar Street to hold off the favourite, Departing, in the stretch, and win the US$135,500 Homecoming Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Bridgmohan stalked with the five-year-old brown horse for most of the one and eighth-mile trip, before getting to the front at the top of the stretch and outlasting Departing to reach the wire by 1³/_⁴ lengths in a time of one minute, 49.86 seconds.

The victory was the fifth in eight career starts for Cigar Street, who is owned by Jake Ballis and NBA player Rashard Lewis. However, the start was only his second in 18 months after returning from injury only last month after a long layoff.

"He's a big, powerful horse. I'm just happy they selected me to ride him. Bill and the owners, Jake and Rashard, they're great," Bridgmohan said. "We had a perfect trip. All I had to do was be a mere passenger."

Call Me George set the early fractions of 23.96 seconds for the quarter and 48.39 for the half-mile, with Bridgmohan and Cigar Street glued to his flank on the outside.

Carve sat off the pace in third, with Departing lurking in fourth, as the six-horse field cantered down the back stretch.