Location United States Surface Dirt Qualification Three-years-old & up Distance 1 3⁄4 miles (14 furlongs) | Website www.breederscup.com Track left-handed Purse 200,000 USD (2016) | |
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Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing Inaugurated 2008 (as Breeders' Cup Marathon) | ||
Marathon stakes gr ii friday november 4 2016
The Marathon Stakes, 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 1 3⁄4 miles. The race has a purse of US$200,000.
Contents
2015 marathon stakes g2
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 1 1⁄2 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 1 3⁄4 miles.
Due to technical requirements, the race was not eligible for classification as a graded stakes race in its first two runnings. It received Grade III status effective in 2010. The race was upgraded to Grade II status for 2011. 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.
Raced at 1 1⁄2 miles in its debut in 2008, the 2009 edition was changed to a distance of 1 3⁄4 miles.
Removal from Breeders' Cup
On April 25, 2014, the Breeders' Cup announced that the Marathon would be discontinued. The event would be renamed to the Las Vegas Marathon as an undercard Breeders' Cup stakes race. The purse of the event was reduced from $500,000 to $200,000. 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 its discontinuation.
Records
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
Winners of the Breeders' Cup / The Marathon since 2008
† - Ran at 1 1⁄2 miles