Las Vegas Marathon (horse race)

This article is about an American thoroughbred horse race. For the athletic foot-race with the similar name, see Las Vegas Marathon.
Las Vegas Marathon
formerly the Breeders' Cup Marathon
Grade II race
Location United States
Inaugurated 2008 (as Breeders' Cup Marathon)
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website Breederscup.com
Race information
Distance 1¾ miles (14 furlongs)
Track Dirt, left-handed
Qualification Three-years-old & up
Weight Set Weights with allowances
Purse $200,000 (2014)

The Las Vegas Marathon, formerly known as the Breeders' Cup Marathon is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race is a Set Weights with allowances race open to horses three years old and up, and contested on dirt at a distance of 1¾ miles. The race has a purse of US$200,000.[1]

Race history

The race was originally established in 2008 as part of the annual Breeders' Cup World Championships with its inaugural running at a distance of 1½ miles. The inaugural running took place on the second day of the Breeders' Cup on the Pro-Ride synthetic dirt at the 2008 host track, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

In 2009, the distance was extended by 2 furlongs to 1¾ miles.[2]

Due to technical requirements, the race was not eligible for classification as a graded stakes race in its first two runnings.[3] It received Grade III status effective in 2010.[4] The race was upgraded to Grade II status for 2011.[5] The race was originally run under Weight for Age conditions.

Automatic Berths for Breeders' Cup

Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup developed "The Breeders' Cup Challenge", a series of races in each division that allotted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races.
Each of the divisions has between one and ten of these, "Win and You're In," qualifying races.
In the Breeders' Cup Marathon Division, runners were limited to 14 and there was one automatic berth.
The "Win and You're In" race was:
1. the Clasico Belgrano, a grade 2 race at Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[6]

Raced at 1½ miles in its debut in 2008, the 2009 edition was changed to a distance of 1¾ miles.

Removal from Breeders' Cup

On April 25, 2014, the Breeders' Cup announced that the Marathon would be discontinued.[7] The event would be renamed to the Las Vegas Marathon as an undercard Breeders' Cup stakes races. The stakes of the event were reduced from $500,000 to $200,000.[1] Citing that "the conditions of the race have not developed into a competition that we believe reaches the standard set by the remaining races comprising the Championships", the Breeders Cup Committee announced.[7]

Records

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners of the Breeders' Cup / Las Vegas Marathon since 2008

Year
Winner
Age
 Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time Purse
Grade
Las Vegas Marathon
2014 Cary Street 5 Miguel Mena Brendan P. Walsh Detampel/Walsh 2:58.29 $200,750 II
Breeders' Cup Marathon
2013 London Bridge 3 Mike Smith Jo Hughes Eastwind Racing & Martha Trussell 2:58.32 $500,000 II
2012 Calidoscopio (ARG) 9 Aaron Gryder Guillermo Frenkel Santillán Stud Dona Pancha 2:57.25 $500,000 II
2011 Afleet Again 4 Cornelio Velasquez Robert E. Reid, Jr. Kasey K Racing Stable 3:00.39 $500,000 II
2010 Eldaafer 5 John Velazquez Diane Alvardo IEAH Stables and Mansour Albaroudy 2:59.62 $500,000 III
2009 Man of Iron 3 Johnny Murtagh Aidan O'Brien Derrick Smith/Susan Magnier/Michael Tabor 2:54.11 $500,000
2008 Muhannak 4 Pat Smullen Ralph Beckett Richard Pegum 2:28.24† $500,000

† - Ran at 1½ miles

See also

References