Scuba's patient approach wins marathon Temperence Hill

by Brian Bohl

Scuba patiently stayed just off the pace, gained control with five furlongs to go and edged away down the stretch to win the marathon $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational on Sunday at Belmont Park.

After stalking Baccelo's early fractions of 52.45 for a half-mile and 1:43.66 for a mile, Scuba took over with five-eighths to go and fended off any potential challengers in the stretch in posting a three-length score in going a career-long 1 5/8 miles in 2:44.73.

 "I warmed him up just like I warmed him up in Philadelphia. He just ran his race," said jockey Kendrick Carmouche, who piloted Scuba to a win in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup on September 5 at Parx. "Knowing that the distance would help him, he's done everything right. I never had to do much; just sit up there and be thankful."

Scuba, trained by Brendan Walsh, improved his career record to 5-5-3 in 16 career starts and finished in the money for the 12th straight time. Off at 3-1, the 5-year-old gray gelding paid $8 on a $2 win bet to improve his career earnings to $427,091 for DARRS.

Walsh said Scuba could be pointed towards the Grade 2 Marathon on November 4 at Santa Anita.

"They either have it or they don't," Walsh said about the distance, which is the longest of the Belmont Fall Meet. "He's never run a bad race, but there was something missing on him going shorter. He just out-gallops all those horses. I couldn't be happier with him. I would think we would head to California. I think he'd have a shot."

Melmich, the 2-1 favorite, rallied from sixth at the half-mile mark to best Extinct Charm by 1 ¼-lengths for second.

Baccelo, Old Time Hockey, Indycott and Desvelo completed the order of finish.

Doyouknowsomething was scratched.

The track record for the 1 5/8-mile distance is held by the legendary Man o'War, who went 2:40.80 on September 4, 1920.