Liam's Map Wins the Battle in the Harlan's Holiday
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Liam's Map was an
unusually late starter for trainer Todd Pletcher, having not debuted until August as a three-year-old. This gray
son of Unbridled’s Song has made up for it by winning his last three starts
including today’s $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream Park.
In his first try in stakes company Liam’s Map faced a very
tough field of eight that included four graded stakes winners: Csaba, Rose to
Gold, Pants On Fire, and Valid. Previously Liam’s Map had broken his maiden at
Belmont Park on Sept. 26th and then won a first level allowance at
Aqueduct by eleven lengths on Nov. 16th.
The field contained several horses that wanted the lead and
as the gates opened Liam’s Map was forced five wide going in to the first turn.
Csaba got to the lead easily, as Liam’s Map had to be rushed up by jockey John Velazquez to get close to the leader. After the first quarter went in :22.85,
Velazquez was content to sit just outside the hip of Csaba and they stayed that
way through a half in :46.25.
After the six furlongs went in 1:10.54, Csaba began to tire
and Valid rushed up to engage Liam’s Map. The two of them would battle head to
head for the rest of the race. Coming around the turn, track announcer Larry
Collmus said that Valid had gotten a head in front.
Liam’s Map never had to battle
down the stretch because in his other two victories he was able to easily draw
away from the competition. The mile went in 1:37.70 and he and Valid continued
to go at it. In the final strides it was Liam’s Map that would prevail and end
up with a half-length margin of victory.
“We knew he had a lot of natural
ability,” Pletcher said. “What I like is a good horse looked him in the eye and
he responded. He’s still a horse that’s learning to run and with a race like
that it could do him a lot of good because his last two wins have been pretty
effortless.”
Velazquez agreed, “He hasn’t run
in a lot of really tough races, but he ran really good. He put in a really good
fight and that’s what counts. The other horse came to him and he fought all the
way down to the wire.”
Liam’s Map gave Pletcher his fourth winner of the day and Velazquez his third. Liam’s Map was sent of as the 1.1-1 betting favorite and paid $4.20 to win. His career stats moved to 4: 3-1-0 and he has now earned a total of $164,800 for the Teresa Viola Racing Stables that paid $800,000 for Liam’s Map at the Keeneland September 2012 yearling sale.
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