Breeders' Cup Marathon: Old Time Hockey stretching out

ARCADIA, Calif. – There were simple reasons why Old Time Hockey was pre-entered for Friday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon over 1 3/4 miles on dirt at Santa Anita.

“He wants to run all day, and it is for $500,000,” trainer Tom Proctor said.

There was a practical reason, too.

“He’s a notch below the best marathon turf horses,” Proctor said.

Owned by breeder Glen Hill Farm, Old Time Hockey will start in the longest race of his career in the BC Marathon. A 4-year-old gelding, Old Time Hockey is winless in six starts this year, but Proctor has seen enough to justify taking a chance in the BC Marathon.

Old Time Hockey has finished fourth in his last two starts – the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap over 1 3/8 miles on turf Aug. 24 and the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship over 1 1/4 miles on grass at Santa Anita on Sept. 29. The winners of those races, Vagabond Shoes and Indy Point, are bound for Saturday’s BC Turf.

After the BC Turf, the next race in the Southern California turf-marathon division is the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup over 1 1/2 miles on Dec. 14. That was too long for Old Time Hockey to wait.

“I couldn’t have run him for three months,” Proctor said.

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Old Time Hockey is part of a projected field of 10 in the BC Marathon. The leading contenders include the Canadian shipper Commander, a four-time stakes winner this year; and Worldy, third in the Homecoming Classic at Churchill Downs on Sept. 28.