Mucino takes on trio of past winners in Humboldt Marathon

Mucino, the 4-year-old gelding trained by Doug O’Neill, could not have more of an away game than he does in his appearance in Sunday’s $50,000 Humboldt County Marathon Handicap in Ferndale, Calif.

Mucino has been based at Del Mar this summer, and must be vanned more than 730 miles to Ferndale. Mucino is part of a full field of eight, that includes the last three winners – Honos Man, Mount Pelliar, and Lord Wimborne.

Mucino, only a maiden race winner in 16 starts, was a well-beaten second in a starter allowance at a mile at Del Mar on July 20 and will race at the testing distance of 1 5/8 miles for the first time on Sunday. On Ferndale’s tiny half-mile track, the Marathon covers slightly more than three circuits.

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For Honos Man, the first mile of the race will be a warm-up period, according to trainer Pancho Rodriguez.

“You have to be patient and wait for your run,” Rodriguez said of race strategy.

A winner of 8 of 44 starts, Honos Man won the 2021 Humboldt County Marathon and was second to Mount Pelliar by a length in 2022. Honos Man, who did not start in the 2023 running, finished fifth in an allowance race at seven furlongs at Ferndale on Aug. 25, a race Rodriguez dismisses.

“He had a bad break,” Rodriguez said.

Earlier this year, when trained by Isidro Tamayo, Honos Man won a starter allowance at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Golden Gate Fields, the 8-year-old gelding’s lone win in nine starts this year.

Race experience on Ferndale’s track is invaluable for Honos Man, according to the 24-year-old Rodriguez.

“He trains really good on the surface,” Rodriguez said. “He grabs the turn really well.”

Lord Wimborne and Mount Pelliar have also been beaten at Ferndale in recent weeks.

Lord Wimborne, who has won 3 of 14 starts this year, was fourth ahead of Honos Man on Aug. 25. Earlier this year, Lord Wimborne won claiming races ranging in values from $4,000 to $12,500 at Golden Gate Fields and Sacramento.

A winner of 10 of 63 career starts, Lord Wimborne won the 2023 Humboldt County Marathon by 3 1/4 lengths, closing from fifth in a field of six.

Mount Pelliar has started five times since the beginning of 2023 and only twice this year. He won a $4,000 claimer at a mile at Santa Rosa on Aug. 10 and finished fourth in a starter allowance at seven furlongs at Ferndale on Aug. 23.

Sunday’s program, which begins at 2:15 p.m. Pacific, is the final day of racing of the three-week Ferndale meeting. The fair circuits shifts to Fresno on Sept. 13.

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