Team Herbertson goes for repeat in Humboldt County Marathon

There’s a little extra pressure on trainer Ari Herbertson to win Sunday’s $20,000 C.J. Hindley Humboldt County Marathon, which closes the Humboldt County Fair meet in Ferndale.

Herbertson saddles Defiantly for an owner who is trying to win his third straight Marathon. And that owner is Ari’s father, Scott.

Ari Herbertson said his father looks forward to the Marathon every year.

“He grew up there,” Ari said. “He likes winning this race.”

Team Herbertson won the Marathon last year with Noble Nick, and Scott Herbertson won it in 2016 with So Elite, who was trained by Jonathan Wong Both were claimed by Herbertson for $16,000.

Scott Herbertson claimed Defiantly for $32,000 at Del Mar on July 27.

The Marathon is run at 1 5/8 miles on the tiny half-mile Ferndale track. Runners pass the finish line four times during the race.

A 5-year-old Exchange Rate gelding, Defiantly is the 124-pound highweight in the field of seven. He has made 16 of his 17 starts on turf, and has finished second in conditioned claiming races on the turf at Santa Anita and Del Mar in his last two starts. Defiantly has not won since taking the Let It Ride stakes at Del Mar in November 2016.

“He’d been training well on the dirt down south, and he’s handled the Tapeta fine at Golden Gate,” Ari Herbertson said. “He’s just a racehorse.”

Quinn Howey, usually among the top trainers at Ferndale, has three runners entered in the race. The Howey-trained West Coast Indy ran second to Marathon rival Jayhawker in a race here on opening day. Howey also is running Seau and Rprettyboyfloyd, whom he claimed at Del Mar for $20,000 and $8,000, respectively.