This hasn't been the best of autumns for Chicago sports fans, thanks in part to the Bad News Bears and their demise in the National Football League standings.

Yet on Saturday, it was a group of friends from the Windy City who injected some warmth into a gray, chilly day at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York.

As impressive as Private Zone looked in winning $753,750 Cigar Mile by five lengths, what might have been more noteworthy was the heartwarming story behind his connections. The 5-year-old gelding is owned by the appropriately named Good Friends Stable, who once again showed how friendship, perseverance and an extremely fast race horse can blend in such an uplifting manner.

The people behind Good Friends Stable include longtime buddies like NHL Hall of Famer and former Chicago Blackhawks coach Denis Savard, Dr. Hilton Gordon, Judge Joe Casciato, David Grund and Dave Flanzbaum.

There's also the friend they rallied around in his time of need, Rene Douglas. Douglas was a top rider in the Chicago-area in 2009 with 3,587 wins to his credit, including Grade 1 triumphs in the 1996 Belmont Stakes and 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Then on May 23rd of that year, he suffered a crushed spinal cord and was paralyzed in a spill at Arlington Park. His life forever changed, Douglas found much-needed support from family and friends, including his buddies who formed Good Friends Stable and made Douglas their racing manager to keep him involved in racing.

Douglas rewarded his "Good Friends" by purchasing Golden Moka from Panamanian owners for $50,000 and winning the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, with him in 2010.

Now Douglas has topped that with Private Zone, an $80,000 purchase in 2012 from Douglas' brother, Rogelio, a trainer in Panama.

The Cigar marked the third Grade 1 win for Private Zone, who in September became just the fourth horse to win Belmont Park's Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes in consecutive years.

"This win belongs to Rene. I'm just so happy for him," Gordon said. "He's given us some great thrills with this horse."

Speaking by phone from Chicago, Douglas also reveled in a win that erased the sting of a third-place finish earlier in the month in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

"I can't explain how happy I am now," Douglas said." "I told [jockey Martin Pedroza] to let him go and he outran them."

Did he ever. On a day when inside speed dominated at Aqueduct, Private Zone took full advantage of the conditions, breaking from the rail and quickly grabbing the lead.

He never looked back.

Carving out blistering fractions of 44.18 seconds for a half-mile and 1:08.35 furlongs, Private Zone ($11.60) ran his eight rivals off their feet, increasing his margin in the final eighth of a mile and crossing the finish line in 1:34.39.

Secret Circle, who was second in the BC Sprint, was second again as the 5-2 favorite in the Cigar, a neck ahead of Bourbon Courage.

"Unbelievable performance," Pedroza said. "I was expecting him to run good but not that good."

Douglas, too, was mightily impressed.

"This was his best race. He usually wins by less than a half-length," Douglas said. "Today he kept on going and they couldn't keep up."

As fast as the fractions may have been, trainer Alfredo Velazquez was unfazed as he watched his horse cruising along on the front end.

"The fractions didn't bother me because he was doing it easy," Velazquez said. "When I saw :44 [seconds for the half], I said, 'They're going to have to come and get him.'"

As it turned out, no one was up to task.

Score another one for friendship.