Closely inbred to the great English racehorse Bend Or, Marathon apparently either lacked his ancestor's ability or was unsound, for his name is conspicuous by its absence from the lists of major race winners. He fared better at stud, getting two American Classic winners and Tattling, the best race mare of her generation in Canada, but had little lasting impact.
Race record
Unavailable.
As an individual
A bay horse; no other information available.
As a stallion
Marathon's only placing among the top 10 American general sires was in 1917, when he was ninth on the list. According to Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967, Marathon sired 19 stakes winners. Sires and Dams of Stakes Winners 1925-1985 (Blood-Horse) credits Marathon with 20 stakes winners (14.3%) from 140 foals.
Notable progeny
Behave Yourself (USA), Jack Hare Jr. (USA), Tattling (USA)
Connections
Bred by William Colllins Whitney, Marathon was imported to the United States in utero. He was later owned by L. A. Cella, then by Herman B. Duryea and finally by Jerome Respess.
Pedigree notes
Marathon is inbred 2x3 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or and 5x5 to the great 19th-century English matron Pocahontas. He is a half brother to Frizette (by Hamburg), a multiple juvenile stakes winner whose abilities on the track were eclipsed by her status as a notable great mare in the United States and France. His dam Ondulee is a granddaughter of 1882 Two Thousand Guineas and Derby Stakes winner Shotover, who despite her status as a dual Classic winner against males was probably not the best filly in her own stable. (John Porter, who trained both Shotover and 1882 Oaks Stakes and St. Leger Stakes winner Geheimniss, thought the latter filly to be the better of the two.)
Fun facts
Race record
Unavailable.
As an individual
A bay horse; no other information available.
As a stallion
Marathon's only placing among the top 10 American general sires was in 1917, when he was ninth on the list. According to Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967, Marathon sired 19 stakes winners. Sires and Dams of Stakes Winners 1925-1985 (Blood-Horse) credits Marathon with 20 stakes winners (14.3%) from 140 foals.
Notable progeny
Behave Yourself (USA), Jack Hare Jr. (USA), Tattling (USA)
Connections
Bred by William Colllins Whitney, Marathon was imported to the United States in utero. He was later owned by L. A. Cella, then by Herman B. Duryea and finally by Jerome Respess.
Pedigree notes
Marathon is inbred 2x3 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or and 5x5 to the great 19th-century English matron Pocahontas. He is a half brother to Frizette (by Hamburg), a multiple juvenile stakes winner whose abilities on the track were eclipsed by her status as a notable great mare in the United States and France. His dam Ondulee is a granddaughter of 1882 Two Thousand Guineas and Derby Stakes winner Shotover, who despite her status as a dual Classic winner against males was probably not the best filly in her own stable. (John Porter, who trained both Shotover and 1882 Oaks Stakes and St. Leger Stakes winner Geheimniss, thought the latter filly to be the better of the two.)
Fun facts
- In world history, Marathon was the site of a decisive Greek victory over the invading Persian Empire. The use of the name for races at the distance of 26 miles and 385 yards honors the legendary feat of Pheidippides, who after fighting in the battle of Marathon ran that distance to bring the news to Athens and died after gasping out his one-word message: “Victory!”