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Muhannak scores in Marathon
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Muhannak surprised as the winner of the inaugural BC Marathon
(Patrick Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) |
The biggest victory Richard Pegum's MUHANNAK (Ire) (Chester House)
boasted on his resume prior to Saturday's $517,540
Breeders' Cup Marathon was a neck win in the Diamond S. over the
Polytrack at Ireland's Dundalk. That didn't stop trainer Ralph Beckett
from giving his four-year-old charge a chance at the inaugural
Marathon, which at 1 1/2 miles is the longest main-track race of the championship
events, and the dark bay responded with a head victory under jockey Pat Smullen.
"Great credit goes to the trainer," Smullen said. "He's improved this
horse unbelievably over the last six months. I'm just privileged to have
the ride on him. It's a dream come true to win a Breeders' Cup."
Booyah (Running Stag) led for much of the way, setting splits of :24
2/5, :50, 1:16 1/5 and 1:40 4/5 with Zappa (Afternoon Deelites), Cedar
Mountain (Ire) (Galileo [Ire]) and Muhannak strung out behind him.
Coming four wide around the turn, Muhannak charged to the front, getting
1 1/4 miles in 2:04 2/5, and had
1 1/2 lengths up on his closest rival in midstretch.
In the final yards, though, Church Service (Pulpit) and Big Booster
(Accelerator) suddenly appeared in the center of the track, but Muhannak
had enough left to take the most important win of his career in a final
time of 2:28 1/5.
"He got the perfect trip," Beckett said. "Pat (Smullen) just said
they were crawling. He's trained very well all week. He's not an easy
horse to train. A big, big part of this is the team at home because he
hasn't been easy." |
Muhannak was sent off the 12-1 second longest shot in the field and rewarded
his backers with payouts of $26.80, $10.80 and $6.20. Church Service was worth
$9.60 and $6.80 after his close miss at 10-1, and ended the $133.10 exacta ($1).
Big Booster was another three parts of a length back in third at
10-1, returning $6.80 while capping the $987.10 trifecta ($1). Delightful Kiss
(Kissin Kris) moved up to take fourth as the 5-1 third pick and completed the
5-1-7-3 superfecta ($1) which returned $3,955. Finishing the order under the
wire were 7-5 favorite Sixties Icon (GB) (Galileo [Ire]), Cedar Mountain, Zappa
and Booyah. Add Heat (Unusual Heat) was a scratch Saturday morning.
Muhannak proved his liking for synthetic tracks overseas, racking up a 4-1-2
mark from seven tries over various Polytrack surfaces in England and Ireland. He transferred that
form to Santa Anita's Pro-Ride in this spot, and now owns a 15-7-1-2 career
record to go along with $422,675 in lifetime earnings.
Bred by Mount Coote Stud in Ireland, Muhannak is out of stakes-placed Opera
(GB) (Forzando [GB]), who has also produced stakes winner Gold Taker (Gold
Case). This is the same family as 1984 Santa Barbara H. (G1) queen Comedy Act (Shecky
Greene), 1975 Alabama S. (G1) victress Spout (Delta Judge) and 2004 Blue Grass
S. (G1) hero The Cliff's Edge (Gulch), as well as Grade
3 heroes Mister S. M. (Rollicking) and King's Nest (Rollicking).
Muhannak sold for $163,729 as a Tattersalls Horse-in-Training last year.
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