NEWS
MARATHON ANALYSIS (9/15):
Yeats could add star power to Marathon
Posted: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 12:45 PM
by Jeff Lowe
Yeats did not add to his glistening record on September 12 in the Irish Field St. Leger (Ire-G1) at the Curragh, but the aftermath may have a notable bearing on the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.
After the seven-time Group 1 winner finished last in the Irish Field St. Leger, trainer Aidan O’Brien said Yeats would be considered for the Prix du Cadran (Fr-G1) on October 4 at Longchamp and Breeders’ Cup Marathon on November 7 at Santa Anita Park.
O’Brien said Yeats struggled with soft ground at the Curragh and expressed optimism of a switch to Santa Anita’s synthetic surface.
“He would love quick ground in Santa Anita,” O’Brien told the Irish Times. “You don’t get to be around for as long as Yeats has unless you learn to look after yourself. That was bad tacky ground on Saturday and he didn’t like it at all.”
The participation of Yeats would be a coup for Breeders’ Cup officials, who have questioned whether the Marathon could attract Europe’s top long-distance horses with only a $500,000 purse and no graded status.
Yeats, an eight-year-old by Sadler’s Wells, is one of Europe’s most prominent stars. He won the Gold Cup (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot for the fourth year in a row on June 18.
Geordieland, a two-time Group 2 winner this year, also is on course for the Marathon after finishing third in the DFS Doncaster Cup (Eng-G2) on September 11.
Another European horse, Dansant, is no longer a candidate following the detection of a knee injury.
Nite Light solidified his status for the Marathon with a front-running victory in the Turfway Fall Championship Stakes (G3) on September 12. The Thunder Gulch colt out of multiple Grade 1 winner Lite Light thrived with his first opportunity on a synthetic track, drawing away to a 5 3/4-length win for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner-breeder Edward P. Evans.
Nite Light broke through after finishing second by a nose to Eldaafer in the Brooklyn Handicap (G2) on June 5 at Belmont Park.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
