Favorite Colonel Liam scores in Muniz Memorial

In the days leading up to the Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds, trainer Todd Pletcher remarked that his grade 1-winning charge Colonel Liam had been training so well on the dirt of late that he might entertain giving the gray colt another try on the main track at some point.

Considering the way the son of Liam’s Map keeps performing on the turf, however, the handicap ranks shouldn’t have to fret about him interloping anytime soon.

Robert and Lawana Low’s Colonel Liam kept his star on the ascent Saturday when he edged clear of long shot Two Emmys in late stretch to capture the Muniz Memorial by 1 1/2 lengths as the .70-1 favorite. It was his fourth win in five starts since switching to the grass.

On form, the 1 1/8-mile Muniz Memorial appeared to be Colonel Liam’s to lose as he was fresh off a victory in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23. The complexion of the Muniz was altered when multiple graded stakes winner and confirmed frontrunner Factor This was scratched Saturday morning, but the end result was as expected with Colonel Liam living up to his 3-5 betting favoritism after sitting off the early fractions.

“My job is not easy, but he makes it look easy,” said jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard Colonel Liam. “He was ready, he was 100 percent. He’s just so smart and he has a lot of class. You don’t see too many like that. I’m just happy I’m on him and hopefully he stays healthy.”

With pacesetter status up for grabs because of Factor This’s absence, 24-1 shot Two Emmys took up that mantle under jockey James Graham and went the opening quarter mile in 23.79 over a course rated good. Ortiz, meanwhile, kept Colonel Liam a bit closer to the pace than usual, rating the 4-year-old colt in fourth on the inside through a half in 49.08 before advancing up to third just behind Peace Achieved to his outside.

Two Emmys was still holding onto his advantage coming into the top of the stretch, bu, after angling off the rail on the far turn, Colonel Liam had dead aim at the leader in the lane and was able to draw clear in the final 16th.

“When Irad and I talked about it, we weren’t sure how much pace there was going to be. But the great thing about a horse like this is he is so versatile that if they go fast early, he can settle back, and if they go slow, he can put himself in a good stalking position,” Pletcher said by phone after the race. “He was on the bridle; he hadn’t run in a little while so he was maybe a touch fresh. He kind of pulled his way up there, but I think that was more a product of the slower second quarter. He always looked like he was in a good position. The horse who was second, he kicked on a bit and (Colonel Liam) had to work to get past him. But I like the way he finished up, and they looked like they were well clear of the third horse.”

Colonel Liam hit the wire in a final time of 1:48.33 over the turf course, and the way he galloped out reinforces Pletcher’s belief that added distance down the road will not be a problem.

“The way he galloped out around the turn gives us encouragement that he’ll handle longer distances,” Pletcher said. “The way he continues to go out after the wire, I think that next start schedule (the G1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on May 1) is going to be 1 1/8 miles and then we can look at the Manhattan after that at 1 1/4 miles. If he were to handle that, I think that puts everything else in play up to 1 1/2 miles. He’s got such a lovely disposition, a great mind and he’s willing to relax and settle. It gives us a lot of opportunities.”

Two Emmys held gamely for runner-up honors, 3 1/2 lengths clear of Logical Myth in third.

“He’s a cool little horse. I wasn’t expecting to be on the lead,” Graham said. “I ended up being placed there but I got him to relax, he was happy and comfortable. I tried to get away around the turn, I gave him a breather. I tried to steal a length or two on them but … the winner was the best horse.”

Colonel Liam made his first two starts on dirt before finding his comfort zone on the lawn and now boasts a career mark of five wins from seven starts with $870,965 in earnings. Bred in Kentucky by Phillips Racing Partnership, he was purchased by the Lows for $1.2 million at the 2019 OBS April 2-Year-Olds in Training sale.

“He may be the best (we’ve had),” Robert Low said. “We think this horse has a great future, and Irad gave him an excellent ride today. We couldn’t be happier.”