Honor Glide Wins with Grade 2 American Derby at Arlington Then Marlin Wins the Grade 2 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park
BY BROCK SHERIDAN
1997-Florida-breds Honor Glide and Marlin won Grade 2 stakes about an hour and 2,000 miles apart on July 20, 1997 with Marlin striking first in the $200,000 Primeco American Derby at Arlington International.
The American Derby was the fourth straight victory and second consecutive in a graded stakes for Honor Glide. Ridden by Garrett Gomez for trainer James Day, Honor Glide won the American Derby by a neck at odds of 7-2 after winning the Grade 2 Arlington Classic on June 28 in course record-equally time of 1:47.59 for the nine furlongs. In his next start, the son of Honor Grades out of Becky Branch (Ire), by Run the Gauntlet would increase his win streak to five with a length-and-a-half victory in the Grade 1 Secretariat on Aug. 24 and complete the Mid-America Triple. That was the first sweep of the series since Buckpasser in 1966.
Honor Glide was owned in the American Derby by Robert G. Schaedle III and was bred in Florida by Bonnie Heath Farm. He retired with earnings of $1,397,187 from 11 wins, five seconds and two thirds in 38 starts.
At Hollywood Park, Micheal B. Tabor’s Marlin took the Grade 2 Sunset Handicap as the even-money favorite.
Carry the top weight of 120 pounds including jockey David Flores in the $400,000 Sunset, Marlin led at every pole while going a mile-and-a-half on the turf and winning by a length-and-a-half.
Two races after the Sunset, trainer D. Wayne Lukas saddled Marlin for his most famous victory in the Grade 1 Arlington Million in August at Arlington.
Marlin was bred in Florida by Gilbert G. Campbell and was owned by Michael B. Tabor. He was by Sword Dance (Ire) out of Syrian’s Summer, by Damascus and retired with earnings of $2,448,880 from nine wins in 26 starts with three seconds and five thirds.
