by Steve Myrick

The $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon features a strong contingent of European runners, including last year's winner, Muhannak (Ire).

The second running of the long-distance event will be contested over 1 3/4 miles on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface.

A field of ten is entered, with Mastery (GB) as the morning-line favorite at 9-to-5. Godolphin’s three-year-old Sulamani (Ire) colt won the Ladbrokes St. Leger Stakes (Eng-G1) at about the same distance in his most recent start. Regular rider Frankie Dettori will pilot Mastery in the Marathon.

Also rating a big chance in the 1¾-mile race is Group 2 winner Father Time (GB), who finished fourth in the St. Leger. Trained by Henry Cecil for Juddmonte Farms, Father Time will be ridden by Eddie Ahern.

“Things just have to go right for him,” Cecil said. “Hopefully, if he can be in the first three coming into the straight, with the turn of foot he's got, I wouldn't say he's without a chance.” (Click here for video of Cecil talking about Father Time).

The familiar combination of trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez will handle Nite Light, a five-year old by Thunder Gulch.

“He's one-paced,” Pletcher said. “He'll probably be prominent early and see if he can keep going.”

Muhannak, trained by Ralph Beckett, has not won since his triumph in the Marathon last year, but his trainer feels there is an upward trend hidden in his form. He was a close fifth in the Grosvenor Casinos Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Eng-G3) at Ascot in his most recent start on September 27.

“The Cumberland Lodge Stakes was a strong race,” Beckett said. “I think he equaled his best run on turf, possibly bettered his best run. Up [until] then, of course, we weren't having it our own way with him at all. I think we are now.”

An intriguing runner is S J Stables’ nine-year old gelding Cloudy's Knight trained by Jonathan Sheppard, who rehabilitated the enormous gelding from a career threatening tendon injury.

Cloudy's Knight, a career earner of $2,225,626, has won consecutive Grade 3 races at 1 ½ miles in his two most recent starts.

“I think this is a very tough race, frankly,” Sheppard said. “One thing I do know about him, if he handles the track at all, the distance is no problem.”

The Marathon will kick off the Breeders' Cup program as the first of six Breeders' Cup races on Friday.

Steve Myrick is a Massachusetts-based correspondent for Thoroughbred Times