Brave Nation to take shot at Marathon

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – According to trainer John Snow, Brave Nation came out of his win in the Grade 3, $100,000 Premier’s last Sunday in excellent shape and will be heading south to make his next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Marathon. The 1 3/4-mile Marathon is part of the Friday Breeders’ Cup program on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

The Premier’s was the first stakes win for Brave Nation, a Kentucky-bred son of Pioneerof the Nile. He paid $21.50 for his 1 1/4-length victory over Final Jeopardy in the 1 3/8-mile race. Brave Nation’s odds seemed generous because he was coming off a runner-up finish going 1 1/8 miles to He’s the Reason in the $50,000 S.W. Randall Plate. As a 3-year-old last year, he finished second by a neck to Calgary Caper in the Premier’s.

Due to being the lone speed, He’s the Reason was heavily favored in the Premier’s. His fate was sealed when he posted a sizzling half-mile time of 46.36 seconds, and he ended up fourth in the five-horse field.

With Antonio Reyes aboard, Brave Nation bided his time before unleashing a powerful kick to win going away.

Snow is looking forward to the trip to California where he will oversee Brave Nation’s training.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, so it should be fun,” Snow said. “He came out of his race fantastic, so we’ll give him a shot.”

Snow isn’t concerned about the added distance Brave Nation will have to negotiate.

“He only has to go extra three-eighths, and he was just getting warmed up in the Premier’s,” he said. “He’s the kind of horse that stays fit, but I want to get a couple of works into him at Santa Anita to get him used to the surface. It is a lot different than he’s used to running over here.”

Snow said he was hoping Mario Gutierrez would be available to ride Brave Nation in the Marathon.

Trainer Phil Hall said Final Jeopardy came out of the Premier’s in great shape and will probably run next in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby on Nov. 27. Final Jeopardy, a son of Street Sense owned by Peter and James Redekop, will get a short rest in California.

Hall is going on a road trip with Catchacougar, who will run in the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie on Oct. 18 at Remington Park. The six-furlong dash is restricted to Oklahoma-breds.

Catchacougar is coming off win in the $51,000 Princess Margaret on Aug. 25 at Century Mile. The daughter of Proud Citizen also won the $50,000 Spaghetti Mouse on July 14 at Hastings. Her only loss in four starts was a third-place finish behind the sensational Infinite Patience in the $75,000 B.C. Cup Debutante.

Hall will be the driver for the long van ride from Vancouver.

“We’re going to stop at Turf Paradise for three days where she will train some,” Hall said.

If Catchacougar runs well in the Oklahoma Classics Lassie, she will stay at Remington for the $75,000 Slide Show on Nov. 15, Hall said.