LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After three turns and two trips under the twin spires, just a head separated them at the wire, as Honor Marie held off Timeout to win the $200,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon going 1 1/2 miles on Wednesday at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Whit Beckman sent out his first Derby starter last year with Honor Marie ($13.60), who finished eighth before going on to run fourth in the Belmont Stakes. Beckman had long expressed a desire to run the son of Honor Code even longer distances, and finally got his chance this week.
"We've been looking for the distance pretty much since he started racing, but obviously, with the way races are constructed for 3-year-olds, there wasn’t the option. But we finally got it today, and he showed he wanted it."
Honor Marie, a Grade 2 winner as a juvenile, was also reunited with jockey Ben Curtis, who rode him early in his 3-year-old campaign, but who broke his collarbone in late May last year and was thus sidelined. Curtis came in to this engagement on a roll, winning a pair of stakes at the recently-concluded Keeneland meet – his first at the track – and winning a race on each of the first two Churchill Downs programs of this season.
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Honor Marie was sent away the third choice in the wagering after finishing a non-threatening seventh in the restricted American Pharoah Stakes going 1 1/16 miles March 29 at Oaklawn – a race Beckman said the colt "absolutely" needed off a seven-month break. Meanwhile, Lambeth and Game Warden were the one-two choices after running one-two all the way around the track in another marathon event, the Temperence Hill on March 28, also at Oaklawn.
Lambeth looked to get a similar trip on Wednesday, rolling out of the gate to lead through the opening quarter as Honor Marie broke last of seven, unhurried early by Curtis.
“Our plan was always to break, sit quiet, and then go get them in the stretch,” Beckman said.
The crowd roared as the horses passed by the stands the first time, and Le Gris, the longest shot on the board, surged into the lead, despite a hard hold by Jose Ortiz. Lambeth was content to rate kindly in second as Le Gris kept going through the half in 48.09 seconds, a relatively honest pace for the distance, and six furlongs in 1:13.44. Lambeth had perfect aim on the longshot leader's flank at the quarter pole.
But Honor Marie suddenly appeared on the scene full of run in the middle of the track, and bounced clear to lead by two lengths – a bit earlier than planned.
"I thought he made the lead a little early, which gave a few of them a shot to come back," Beckman said.
Indeed, Timeout, who had been sixth of seven at the quarter pole, was the one to rally on the outside. With the two two well off the rail, Honor Marie just held him off at the wire.
The time for the 1 1/2 miles on the track rated fast was 2:30.56.
After the top two it was 4 1/2 lengths back to Game Warden in third. The field strung out, with Lambeth, Le Gris, and Speed Bias rounding out the order of finish. Warrior Johny was eased to the eighth pole while tiring and was pulled up, but walked off with the rest of the field.
Meanwhile, Curtis briefly hopped off Honor Marie after galloping out, but remounted and came back for the win photos, and Honor Marie walked back to the barn. Beckman said all was well with Honor Marie, and that he'll take some time to look for a next target, with limited marathon options.
"We'll just kind of let everything settle and then we'll start figuring things out," he said.
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