There is a first time for everything, and the April 30 Isaac Murphy Marathon Stakes at Churchill Downs will prove that axiom correct.
Honor Marie, who a year ago was preparing to run in the Kentucky Derby (G1), is now getting ready for his first shot at a mile and a half.
The Honor Code colt was among the bettors' darlings for the 150th Kentucky Derby in his last visit to the Louisville, Ky., track. However, ever since finishing eighth under the twin spires, races have not gone Honor Marie's way.
Following the Derby, Honor Marie rallied in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Stakes (G1) but ran out of real estate and finished fourth. Next came a troubled trip in the Travers Stakes (G1). He returned to the track this season for the March 29 American Pharoah Overnight Stakes, raced midpack and finished seventh.
Now that he has a race under his belt, trainer Whit Beckman hopes the additional distance will ignite a spark.
"Honor Marie has always been a horse that we thought effective at that true mile-and-a-half distance marathon route-type distance, but last year as a 3-year-old we didn't get that chance because there were no mile-and-a-half races," said Beckman. "I was looking at the (nominations) and without that horse Next in there, it looked like it could be a wide-open race. We just took a shot and entered him."
Beckman said there is an allowance race May 18 and Honor Marie might run that instead of the Isaac Murphy.
While the spotlight will be on Honor Marie, that shouldn't detract from the abilities of Lambeth, the 4-year-old Arrogate colt who has been hitting his stride.
Stretching out with three 1 1/16-mile races, the chestnut trained by Joe Sharp won the last of those, an allowance at Oaklawn Park by 4 1/2 lengths and established a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 105. That was until the Juddmonte-bred colt tackled the 1 1/2-mile Temperence Hill Stakes. His gate-to-wire, 3 1/2-length triumph produced a 106 ESF.
Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Race 8Entries: Isaac Murphy Marathon S. presented by Resolute Racing
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Honor Marie (KY) Ben Curtis 118 D. Whitworth Beckman - 2 Game Warden (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Norm W. Casse - 3 Speed Bias (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Ron Moquett - 4 Warrior Johny (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Philip A. Bauer - 5 Lambeth (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Joe Sharp - 6 Le Gris (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Albert M. Stall, Jr. - 7 Baba Voss (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Robert B. Hess, Jr. - 8 Timeout (KY) Junior Alvarado 118 William I. Mott -
Sprint Stars in the William Walker
Headlining Wednesday's card at Churchill Downs is the $300,000 William Walker Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds.
The race will feature a rematch of last year's Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland between Governor Sam and Out On Bail, which the former won by a neck. It will mark the 2025 debut of Governor Sam, who after winning the Indian Summer, went on to show in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T). Jet Sweep Joe, who ran in both the Indian Summer and the Juvenile, will also line up in the starting gate Wednesday but the Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables-owned Governor Sam gets top billing.
As for his Indian Summer rival, Out On Bail will also have the curtain raised on his 3-year-old campaign by co-owners Case Chambers, Paradise Farms, and David Staudacher.
Also lurking will be Perfect Force, a son of Gun Runner who has hit the board in all three of his starts this year. Last time out, he was a distant third in the one-mile Hot Springs Stakes on dirt, his first foray into stakes competition. He is trained by D. Wayne Lukas for BC Stables.
Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Race 9Entries: William Walker S. presented by Resolute Racing
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Out On Bail (NY) Luis Saez 118 Michael J. Maker - 2 Altobelli (KY) Cesar Orantes 118 Nery Alvarez - 3 Bridle a Butterfly (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Albert M. Stall, Jr. - 4 Normandy Coast (KY) Ben Curtis 118 Eddie Kenneally - 5 Coming in Hot (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 118 John Ennis - 6 Makeit to Cheyenne (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Joseph F. Orseno - 7 Jet Sweep Joe (KY) Angel Serpa 118 Paul McEntee - 8 Big Vince (KY) Gerardo Corrales 118 Larry Rivelli - 9 Warheart (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Rodolphe Brisset - 10 Perfect Force (KY) Nik Juarez 118 D. Wayne Lukas - 11 Governor Sam (KY) Paco Lopez 120 George Weaver -
