Marathon: Sir Dave off surgery

Sir Dave, one of the locally based longshots in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon, will be returning from minor throat surgery when he runs Friday in the 1 3/4-mile Pro-Ride race.

Trainer Jack Carava said the 4-year-old gelding had an entrapped epiglottis repaired by Dr. Mark Martinelli in San Marcos, Calif., shortly after finishing seventh in the Oct. 11 Clement Hirsch at Santa Anita.

"The initial scope showed a clean entrapment," Carava said Saturday. "We ended up giving the horse six days off, and after he came back he was making a very slight noise, but the last three or four days he's been real quiet. My main concern is the time he missed, but he is a natural marathon type of horse. He's got a lot of air."

Sir Dave worked five furlongs Friday in 1:01.20 at Santa Anita. He is one of three California-based horses in the Marathon, along with Black Astor and On Fire.

The Marathon, the first of the 14 BC races, will have the 3-year-old Godolphin colt, Mastery, as one of the heaviest favorites in the entire series.