Honor Marie Tries First Marathon in Isaac Murphy

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. 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.