OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Law Professor is expected to scratch from Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct and will now point to the $150,000 Queens County Stakes, also at Aqueduct, on Dec. 29, trainer Rob Atras said Friday. Atras cited the degree of difficulty of the Cigar Mile field as well as Law Professor’s preference for 1 1/8 miles as the reasons for passing on Saturday’s race. The Cigar Mile field drew four Grade 1 winners – Mullikin, Locked, Book’em Danno, and Senor Buscador – as well as the Grade 2 winner Post Time. “This race came up a lot tougher than I thought it would, it kept getting tougher every week,” Atras said. “It’s going to be more like a sprint than a mile. I liken it to the Met Mile, they’ll go fast and then they’ll go faster. It took us a long time to get him back, I’d hate to see him go off form.” Law Professor came off a 5 1/2-month layoff to record a hard-fought nose victory over Bendoog going 1 1/8 miles in an Oct. 25 allowance here. That was Law Professor’s fifth win from seven starts over Aqueduct’s main track. Four of those wins have come at 1 1/8 miles, including a 7 1/2-length victory in the 2023 Queens County and a win in the 2023 Excelsior. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. In discussing this year’s Queens County, Atras said, “I don’t know for sure but we’d have to be one of the top contenders in that race. I know it’s three weeks down the road.” Atras, for the second straight year, also will maintain a winter division at Fair Grounds. Among the horses he has based there is the 2-year-old Chasing Liberty, winner of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at Del Mar in early November. Chasing Liberty had his first work since that race on Nov. 30 at Fair Grounds going three furlongs in 36.20 seconds. Atras said Chasing Liberty could get back to the races in late January. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.