Siskany Heads TAA Marathon Stakes on BC Undercard

The Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup undercard begins with the $250,000 1 5/8-mile Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2), for 3-year-olds and up over the Santa Anita main track. The marathon route drew a short field of six competitors headed by 8-5 morning line favorite Siskany .

The Appleby-trained Godolphin homebred Siskany makes his second stateside start this afternoon and first attempt over dirt. When last seen racing in the United States, the 5-year-old Dubawi  gelding won the $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2T) June 9, a two-mile widener turf test for older horses at Belmont Park. In his most recent start, he finished a close third when making his first grade 1 appearance in the 12-furlong Preis von Europa (G1) at Cologne, Germany Sept. 24., the same race Rebel's Romance  won last year prior to his victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T).

The Irish-bred 5-2 second choice is Salesman , another Dubawi gelding trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella. The Wertheimer and Frere homebred seeks his first graded stakes score. He comes off third-place finish in the Sept. 17 Los Alamitos Special Stakes, his first dirt attempt.

Wertheimer and Frere also send out the Into Mischief   gelding homebred Serifos . The Graham Motion trainee was a well-beaten fifth in the Japan Turf Cup at Laurel Sept. 30 but was a solid winner two-back on dirt when splashing away to a 3 1/4-length win in the rained-off Presious Passion Stakes at Monmouth Park.   

Other Contenders

Breaking from the advantageous inside rail post is another stakes-caliber contender in Time for Trouble , a son of English Channel who is trained by Jeff Hiles and owned by Hiles and Thorndale Stables. The 6-year-old finished fifth last out in a one-mile $500,000 Handicap at Kentucky Downs Sept. 3. Earlier in the summer, he finished a well-beaten runner-up to last year's TAA Stakes winner Next , in the $150,000 Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga.

Sondereker Racing's grade 2 winner Kiss Today Goodbye  makes his 14th consecutive graded stakes appearance for conditioner Eric Kruljac and finished second last out in the Tokyo City (G3) over the local Southern California footing.