My Favorite Cigar
Michael Joyce • Fanduel Host • Montecristo No. 2
The racetrack remains one of the few cigar-friendly venues, and Michael Joyce spends most of his time on the track. The 47-year-old FanDuel host loves cigars nearly as much as he loves horse racing. “When I’m on remote,” he says, “I can smoke three a day.”
Joyce got a taste for cigars from his older brother John, then began puffing in earnest after college. He loves Cuban Montes, but he’s also a big fan of Plasencia cigars. “I’ve never had a bad one,” he says. He has a taste for Tatuaje Cojonus as well. Like so many modern-day cigar lovers, Joyce experiments and has enjoyed Diamond Crowns, E.P. Carrillos and Undercrown Maduros from Drew Estate.
“The racetrack is one of the last refuges for cigar smokers. You can walk around virtually the entire racetrack and smoke a cigar,” Joyce says. “It’s totally acceptable and normal, and I kind of love it,” he says. And what’s a typical work day for Joyce? “I go on the air around two o’clock, so I’ll get to the track at noon, and I’ll have a smoke while I’m prepping. I’ll have the racing form, I’ll have my cigar and it’s just part of my routine.”
