Liam’s Map Romps in the Woodward

Having run one of the more valiant races in defeat in recent memory when beaten a neck by Honor Code (A.P. Indy) after carving out a very quick pace in Saratoga’s GI Whitney S. Aug. 8, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song) earned a much-deserved victory at the highest level in Saturday’s GI Woodward S. Zipping right out to the front and building up a clear edge through comfortable enough splits of :23.69, :47.49 and 1:10.94, he turned for home still with plenty in the tank, and was always doing enough to defeat stablemate Coach Inge (Big Brown) by 4 3/4 lengths. Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) rounded out the trifecta. “The Whitney was as tough a loss as you’ll experience,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who was cashing a Grade I double in addition to his Woodward exacta after taking the GI Spinaway S. one race earlier. “He ran an unbelievable race that day and everything he indicated to us from that time until today was that he was ready to come back over and put forth another big effort. I’m just happy to see him get that Grade I that he deserves so much.”

Saturday, Saratoga
WOODWARD S.-GI, $600,000, SAR, 9-5, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:47.44, ft.
1–@&LIAM’S MAP, 118, c, 4, by Unbridled’s Song
1st Dam: Miss Macy Sue (GSW, $880,915), by Trippi
2nd Dam: Yada Yada, by Great Above
3rd Dam: Stem, by Damascus
($800,000 Ylg ’12 KEESEP). O-Teresa Viola Racing
Stables; B-Albaugh Family Stable, LLC (KY); T-Todd
A. Pletcher; J-Javier Castellano. $360,000. Lifetime
Record: 7-5-2-0, $808,940. *1/2 to Taylor S.
(Medaglia d’Oro), SW & GSP, $121,519.
Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-89th-g1-winning-graduate-for-taylor-made”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]
2–Coach Inge, 120, g, 4, Big Brown–Touch too Much,
by Holy Bull. ($150,000 2yo ’13 OBSMAR). O-Repole
Stable; B-Paul Pompa (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$120,000.
[bullet ad=”hidden-brook-hidden-brook-foaled-raised”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”]
3–Wicked Strong, 122, c, 4, Hard Spun–Moyne Abbey,
by Charismatic. ($375,000 Ylg ’12 KEESEP).
O-Centennial Farms; B-William F. Lynn (KY); T-James
A. Jerkens. $60,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 1HF, NK. Odds: 1.20, 9.60, 5.10.
Also Ran: Effinex, Mylute, Bay of Plenty, Commanding Curve, Protonico. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Second in a strong-looking seven-furlong GI Travers S. day maiden here last meet, Liam’s Map aired by

9 1/2 lengths going a one-turn mile a Big Sandy in September. He crushed first-level allowance foes by double digits at Aqueduct in November, and handled a group of hard-knocking older graded stakes runners while earning a 112 Beyer Speed Figure in Gulfstream’s Harlan’s Holiday S. Dec. 13. Liam’s Map made his belated 4-year-old debut a winning one in a Belmont optional claimer June 19, and earned a career-best 113 Beyer Speed Figure despite posting fractions of :22.79, :46 flat and 1:09.72 in the Whitney.

“The opening fractions were very much in his favor, and he has that style where he can get into a cruising speed and just keep carrying it,” Pletcher, who won this race in 2007 and 2010, said of the Woodward. “The thing that he did after he went that :47 1/5 is he came back with another 23 and change to go 1:10 and change and then 1:34 and change. He just gets into that rhythm and he just runs horses off their feet.”

Javier Castellano, who rode Honor Code in the Whitney, took over for Mike Smith on Liam’s Map Saturday to secure his fifth Grade I of the Saratoga meet.

“I’m very lucky and very fortunate to be in that spot,” said the 2013 and 2014 Eclipse-winning rider. “I expected to have a great meet, but I think I was in the right place at the right time and everything fell into place. I had a lot of support; from owners and trainers and my agent [Matt Muzikar].”

The winner’s dam, a pure sprinter who won the GIII Winning Colors S. and inaugural running of the Presque Isle Downs Masters in 2007 before finishing third in the first-ever running of the Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint, is also responsible for the equally swift SW and GSP Taylor S. (Medaglia d’Oro). She has a yearling colt by Giant’s Causeway and a weanling son of Bodemeister. Owner Teresa Viola’s husband Vincent Viola, who races as St. Elias Stable, owns the NHL’s Florida Panthers.