Liam's Map Tries Tougher in Harlan's Holiday

Coming off a pair of runaway victories in New York this fall, Liam’s Map will find the water much deeper for his stakes debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream Park.

The gray 3-year-old Unbridled’s Song colt will be up against some seasoned graded stakes winners in Csaba, Pants On Fire, Rose to Gold and Valid in the Harlan’s Holiday, for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

“I think it’s time,” said 11-time defending Championship Meet leader Todd Pletcher, who trains Liam’s Map for Teresa Viola Racing Stables. “We’ve compared him a little bit in our minds to a horse like Graydar and Cross Traffic; same sire, same color, same talent. We kind of did the same thing with them and made the jump right from preliminary allowance conditions into the bigger races. We feel like he’s worthy.”

Both Graydar and Cross Traffic were Grade 1 winners in 2013. Cross Traffic took the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course and Graydar came out of an optional claiming allowance to capture Gulfstream’s Donn Handicap in his subsequent start.

Second in his career debut on August 23 at Saratoga, Liam’s Map broke his maiden four weeks later by 9 ½ lengths at Belmont Park. Most recently, he led from start to finish in his first try against winners for an 11 ½-length score on November 16 at Aqueduct. Both wins came at one mile. He will carry Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and 118 pounds from post eight of nine, five pounds fewer than highweight Valid.

“He trains like a pretty serious horse and his two wins have been visually very impressive,” said Pletcher. “I’m looking forward to stretching him out and seeing how that goes. This will be his first time around two turns, but he’s run pretty fast.”

Multiple Grade 3 winner Csaba won the Harlan’s Holiday in 2012 and was second last year. The 5-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy has won 13 of 35 lifetime starts and nearly $700,000 in purses, but enters off a sixth-place finish in the Eight Miles West Stakes on October 11 at Gulfstream Park West.

“Csaba is coming into the race in excellent shape,” trainer Phil Gleaves said. “His last start he had a severe case of thumps, basically an electrolyte imbalance specific to calcium. Of course, that’s why he didn’t run up to par. Since then he’s been training very well and I’m looking forward to running him.”

Owned by Bruce Hollander and Cary Shapoff, Csaba is 5-for-10 lifetime at 1 1/16 miles, including two wins and two seconds in five tries at the distance over Gulfstream’s main track. Jockey Luis Saez will ride at 121 pounds from post one.

“He does race well at Gulfstream, which is important that a horse likes the track,” Gleaves said. “A mile and a sixteenth would be his optimum distance, I would think, so we’ve got those two positives going in. Having said that, it’s not an easy race. There’s some very nice horses in there and you have to contend with that when you’re running at this level.”

Valid enters the Harlan’s Holiday on a two-race win streak for trainer Marcus Vitali and owner Crossed Sabres Farm, including a half-length victory over stablemate Midnight Cello in the Eight Miles West. The Virginia-bred Medaglia d’Oro gelding has won five of nine starts this year, including the Monmouth Cup (G2) at 1 1/16 miles in July at Monmouth Park. Regular rider Orlando Bocachica will be aboard from post seven.

“He’s in great form,” Vitali said. “I couldn’t ask him to be doing any better. He’s eating good, he’s doing good, he’s got a lot of flesh on him. He’s training like a monster. I’m thrilled with what I see. He had a couple of minor issues that we addressed. I don’t know if that’s it, but I think with age he’s gotten better.”

Pants On Fire won the Monmouth Cup (G2) and Ack Ack Handicap (G3) in 2013 for owners Lori and George Hall, and has been in the money in all five starts this year, beaten a half-length in the Iselin Handicap (G3) and most recently third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

A 4-year-old filly by 2004 Florida Derby (G1) winner Friend’s Lake, Rose to Gold has raced four times this year but not since fading to last in the Apple Blossom (G1) on April 11 at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Sal Santoro, she won three Grade 3 stakes in four starts capped by the Honeybee at Oaklawn last March.

Also entered are multiple stakes winner Sr. Quisqueyano, a November 21 allowance winner at Gulfstream Park West; Grade 2-placed Hampstead Heath; Sunshine Millions Classic Preview show finisher Schivarelli; and Hy Kodiak Warrior, unraced since finishing off the board in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) in March.

Howe Great Returns From Lengthy Layoff in $100,000 El Prado

Eleven months since he last raced, Grade 3 winner Howe Great will be trying 7 ½ furlongs for the first time in Saturday’s $100,000 El Prado for 3-year-olds and up on the turf.

Now trained by Tom Bush for Team Valor International, the 5-year-old son of Hat Trick was last seen finishing seventh in the Fort Lauderdale (G2) on January 11 at Gulfstream before being sidelined with an injury.

“He had a pretty significant inside lateral splint, and I think they had a heck of a time getting it quieted down,” Bush said. “Sometimes those things make you wait. He’s doing splendidly. We’re tickled to death with him. He came to me in the fall from Fair Hill with a good bottom on him, and he’s had a nice progressing series of works. He’s done quite well.”

Howe Great has three wins from five lifetime starts at Gulfstream, taking both the Kitten’s Joy and Palm Beach (G3) in 2012. Since then, he has won two of 15 starts – the 2012 Jersey Derby and a Keeneland allowance last September – while placing in seven graded stakes.

“He’s a very nice horse to be around, a big, handsome horse,” Bush said. “We’re happy to get him back going again. Hopefully, he’s going to have a good year. We’re starting off not at an ideal distance, but I think it’s the right thing to do. We’re excited he’s come along as well as he has.”

Winner of the Sunshine Millions Turf Preview and its predecessor, the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup, Bad Debt also cuts back in the El Prado. Trainer Mike Trombetta claimed the 7-year-old gelding for $62,500 in August in his first start since being lost for $80,000 in July.

“When I lost him and we claimed him back, that was actually one of the things that was on our radar screen,” Trombetta said. “To have it all come together was extremely satisfying. A lot of little things have to happen to get to the winner’s circle.”

Despite the distance, Trombetta said the El Prado fits well into the schedule for Bad Debt looking ahead toward the Sunshine Millions Turf on January 17.

“He’s training well, and the timing works out well to get us to the Sunshine Millions,” he said. “The distance is a little bit of a worry but he’s been successful enough at a mile, so I don’t see why he couldn’t be at 7 ½. There will probably be a pretty lively pace, and hopefully he can make a run at whatever’s in front of him.”

Grade 2 winner Excaper, Group 2 winner Mshawish, multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Strong Impact, graded stakes-placed Fredericksburg and Midnight Cello, Asset Inflation, Breitling Flyer, Tryer and Vinny Goodtimes round out the El Prado field.

Source: Gulfstream Park