MARATHON

Last Updated Nov. 3, 2009

Entries
Connections and Other Information
Trainer, Owner, Breeder, Breeding, Dosage, Age

Recent Past Performances
Post-Race Comments from Trainers, Jockeys
How They Ran, Times, Lengths, Other Info; Workouts

Reports written or compiled and edited from track, NTRA and other notes by Dick Downey.

Unless otherwise noted, all races on synthetic track or fast dirt.
Arlington Park, Del Mar, Hollywood Park, Keeneland, Presque Isle Downs, Santa Anita,
Turfway Park and Woodbine races are on synthetic main track unless turf is noted.

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Marathon
Purse: $500,000
Distance: 1 1/2 Mile
Surface: Synthetic

MARATHON ENTRIES

Post	Horse	ML	Jockey	A	Owner	Trainer
1	Black Astor (KY)	12-1	A. Solis	5	A Breed Apart LLL & Steven R. Humphrey	Lisa Lewis
2	Muhannak (IRE)	12-1	R. Moore	5	R. A. Pegum	Ralph Beckett
3	*Nite Light (KY)	4-1	J. Velazquez	5	Edward P. Evans	Todd Pletcher
4	Cloudy's Night (KY)	8-1	R. Hoemeister, Jr.	9	S. J. Stables LLC	Jonathan Sheppard
5	Father Time (GB)	3-1	E. Ahern	3	Juddmonte Farms	Henry Cecil
6	Mastery (GB)	9-5	L.Dettori	3	Godolphin Stable	Saeed bin Suroor
7	Sir Dave (FL)	20-1	J. Rosario	4	La Canada Stable LLC	Jack Carava
8	Eldaafer (KY)	30-1	R. Bejarano	4	Alghuwayriyah Stables LLC	Diane Alvarado
9	Man of Iron (KY)	8-1	J. Murtagh	3	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor	Aiden O'Brien
10	Gangbuster (KY)	30-1	K. Desormeaux	4	Allshouse Racing LLC	Keith Desormeaux

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BLACK ASTOR
CLOUDY'S KNIGHT
ELDAAFER
FATHER TIME
GANGBUSTER
MAN OF IRON
MASTERY
MUHANNAK
NITE LIGHT
SIR DAVE

BLACK ASTOR (KY)
Trainer: Lisa Lewis
Owner: A Breed Apart, LLC, & Steven R. Humphrey
Breeder: CHO, LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Black Minnaloushe (Storm Cat, Coral Dance (FR))
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Bagasse (Sunshine Forever, Esprit d'Escalier)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 2-1-11-2-0 (16) 1.13
Age: 5

All of Black Astor's 17 starts have come in California since his debut at Belmont Park in December, 2006. A winner of four starts with two seconds and a third, he's earned $229,624, virtually of which has come on the turf.

His most recent start came on Aug. 30 in the Grade II Del Mar Handicap, when he finished tenth to Spring House. Just before that was the Grade II Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park, a 1 1/2-mile race he won by two lengths. Spring House finished second in the Sunset.

Black Astor may be the Presious Passion of the Marathon field. He opened a 10-length lead early in the Sunset, but it's not the type of thing you otherwise see in his racing history.

FATHER TIME (GB)
Trainer: Henry Cecil
Owner: Juddmonte Farms
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Dansili (GB) (Danehill, Hasili (IRE))
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Clepsydra (GB) (Sadler's Wells, Quandary)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 5-2-13-4-0 (24) 1.29
Age: 3

In mid-September, connections said European-based Father Time could be aimed at the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

He was fourth in the final British Classic of the season, the extended 14-furlong Group 1 St. Leger at Doncaster on Sept. 12. The Dansili colt had previously recorded a four-length win in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes over 12 furlongs at Royal Ascot in June.

On Sept. 17, European racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said, “Father Time could go for the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. He stayed most of the St. Leger trip, and I would be hopeful that he could get a mile and six furlongs around Santa Anita.

“I think that the St Leger was a very good, competitive race this year, and he seems to have come back fine.”

MASTERY (GB)
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Darley
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Sulamani (IRE) (Hernando (FR), Soul Dream)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Moyesii (Diesis (GB), Cherokee Rose (IRE))
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 3-2-8-2-3 (18) 1.00
Age: 3

Sept. 12, Group 1 St. Leger, Doncaster, About 1 13/16 Mile (T). Mastery won by three parts of a length over stablemate Kite Wood after a stretch battle. It was his first win in four starts since taking the Italian Derby back in May. With Ted Durcan up on "good to firm" turf, the winning time was 3:04.81.

MUHANNAK (IRE)
Trainer: Ralph Beckett
Owner: R. A. Pegum
Breeder: Mount Coote Stud
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Chester House (Mr. Prospector, Toussaud)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Opera (GB) (Forzando (GB), Flattering)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 12-2-12-0-0 (26) 3.33
Age: 5

In 2008, Muhannak won the Group 3 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk (won by Mastercraftsma in 2009) en route to Breeders’ Cup Marathon success.

In six races this year, Muhannak has two fifths, two sevenths, an eighth, a tenth and a DNF.

NITE LIGHT (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Edward P. Evans
Breeder: Foxfield
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Thunder Gulch (Gulch, Line of Thunder)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Lite Light (Majestic Light, Printing Press)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 11-1-7-0-1 (20) 3.44
Age: 5

Sept. 12, Grade III Turfway Park Fall Championsip, Turfway Park, 1 1/2 Mile. Nite Light, the 6-5 favorite, controlled from gate to wire, securing his first graded stakes win and an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. It was his first start on an all-weather surface.

Saddled for the race by Mike McCarthy, assistant to trainer Pletcher, Nite Light took an early lead and then fully dictated a pedestrian pace before drawing off to win by 5 3/4 lengths. The 5-year-old son of Thunder Gulch ran the first half-mile in :51.58 and the mile in 1:43.11 before stepping up the pace slightly to clock 2:32.55 for all of it. Jon Court was on the winner.

Nite Light’s stablemate Alaazo moved up into second as the field approached the quarter-pole and kept the runner-up position, a length better than Dominican in third. Completing the order of finish were Gangbuster, Eleuterio, and Ran Ran Ran. Lord Kipling and Super Class scratched.

“I was able to get out and dictate the pace, and it worked favorably,” said Court. “Rarely do you see them going that slow, but nobody was challenging him. I initiated a little quicker pace to keep a length or two in front of them, and we were uncontested until we turned for home. I had plenty of horse left at the head of the stretch. I thought the late runners were going to make a run, so I put a little bit of margin between us.”

McCarthy said the horse is expected to take advantage of his automatic berth in the Marathon.

Oct. 3, Grade II Hawthorne Gold Cup, Hawthorne Race Course, 1 1/4 Mile. At 7-1 odds, Nite Light stalked the pace, took a short lead in the stretch, but was passed by Awesome Gem, the 3-1 second choice, who got a1 1/4-length victory.

Under a confident ride by David Flores on a muddy track, Awesome Gem saved ground in the early going, angled out when they turned for home, and rallied under steady pressure. Nite Light finished second.

The final time was 2:04.36, with fractions of :24.17, :48:60, 1:13.04, and 1:38.30.

Jon Court, rider of runner-up Nite Light: "He ran an honest, strong race. I had horse at the end, but he just didn't have the turn of foot. He's more of a steady grinder. He's just a big horse, it takes him awhile to get his footing, but when he does he just stays with it.

"He's got a lot of stamina. He's tenacious. He fought to the end and when David went by me, I thought, 'he's got the horse with the kick at the end.' My horse was still running. I was hoping to put a little lead on him turning for home, make him more of a challenge to run down. I held off the rest of the field, but the one quick closer managed to get by me."

Mike McCarty, assistant to Todd Pletcher for Nite Light, added, “It was a good performance under less than ideal conditions."