London Bridge wins for New York in Marathon

London Bridge, a three-year-old making his first start on dirt and in the

U.S., became the first New York-bred winner of a Breeders' Cup race with an

off-the pace triumph in Friday's $500,000

Marathon at Santa Anita, which kicked off the 30th edition of the series.

Kept six to seven lengths off the lead by jockey Mike Smith, London Bridge

raced several paths off the rail while biding his time for the opening 1 1/4

miles. Up front, Commander led for a mile, setting splits of :46 3/5, 1:11 2/5

and 1:37 3/5, but was soon out of gas passing the half-mile pole a second time.

The trio of Blueskiesnrainbows, Suns Out Guns Out, and Worldly duked it out

from the far turn to mid-stretch, when fatigue began to set in for all three.

Firing fresh by that point was London Bridge, who made up five lengths in the

final furlongs and won going away by a length in a time of 2:58 1/5 for 1 3/4

miles.

"He just had to work really hard. He was never really sure of the dirt,"

Smith said. "The change in his shoes made a big difference, but even with that

he was never really confident. I had to keep riding him at times, taking a hold

of him, riding him, trying get him confident, but keep moving all at the same

time. I felt if I kept chasing them, he'd lose confidence. So I did a little of

both and he outlasted them, because really, if it was on grass, it would have

been a much better victory."

Sent off at 9-1, London Bridge paid $20, $10.20 and $6.40.

Blueskiesnrainbows, who held a narrow lead for most of the final

quarter-mile, held off Worldy by a neck for second, with Suns Out Guns Out 1 1

/4 lengths farther back in fourth. Indian Jones, Old Time Hockey, Pool Play,

Commander, and Cease were next under the wire.