Liam's Map
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Who's been making the best physical impression in the mornings heading into the GI Kentucky Derby? Our boots on the ground and Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack reveals his top three favorite workouts recorded from the scratched-down field of 19 beneath the Twin Spires. 1) JOURNALISM April 27, 2025 | 5F | 1:01.40 (18/22) Not only does Journalism (Curlin) have the best form heading into the first Saturday in May. The physically imposing 3-1 morning-line favorite also posted the most visually impressive local breeze of the field,...
Five Kentucky Derby hopefuls were on track Saturday morning during the special training period for Oaks and Derby horses at Churchill Downs, but one, GISW Tappan Street (Into Mischief), has been withdrawn from the big race with an injury. As reported early Saturday morning, the son of Into Mischief had just completed a five furlong breeze when regular rider Luis Saez felt that 'something was off' afterwards. X-rays back at the barn revealed a condylar fracture, and while trainer Brad Cox reports it is not a major injury, it will...
Whitham Thoroughbred's homebred Burnham Square (g, 3, Liam's Map--Linda, by Scat Daddy), a disappointing fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park last out Mar. 1, bounced back in a big way with a well-timed, last-to-first, nose victory over 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) in Tuesday's postponed GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland. It was another 3/4 of a length back to 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music) in third. Favored MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick...
Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC's Burnham Square (Liam's Map) breezed an easy half-mile at Palm Meadows Training Center Saturday morning in preparation for a scheduled start in the GII Fountain of Youth Mar. 1 at Gulfstream Park. He was timed in :50.05 (49/82) in his first official workout since scoring a 1 3/4-length victory in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Feb. 1. "He worked this morning, just a nice maintenance work, galloped out good," trainer Ian Wilkes said. "I'm very happy." Wilkes continued, "He just went by himself. I didn't...
Whether you consider it just a random squeaking of the hamster wheel, or evidence of some latent order awaiting our discovery, these Thoroughbreds certainly know how to make us stop and think about the strange operation of life. Last Friday it was announced that Miss Macy Sue (Trippi) had died at 22. The very next day, her son Liam's Map produced a Derby contender in GIII Holy Bull Stakes winner Burnham Square. The 20 starting points banked there, moreover, matched those earned two weeks previously in the GIII Lecomte Stakes...
Trainer Ian Wilkes has spent enough time in this business to know that not every animal is straight-forward. More times than not, a cagey veteran such as Wilkes finds the key to unlock his runners' true ability, and that seems to be the case with Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who won his second straight since the addition of a set of blinkers and joined the Triple Crown fray in earnest in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. "The key is the blinkers. I had to put...
Graded winner Miss Macy Sue (Trippi), an accomplished racemare and the dam of 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) and GSW & GISP Not This Time (Giant's Causeway), has died at the age of 22, Taylor Made announced Friday afternoon. The 2007 winner of the GIII Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs, and runner-up in her title defense a year later, competed in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park in 2007, finishing third when it was still a Listed stakes. Upon retirement, she left...
7th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 12-28, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.31, ft, 9 lengths. BURNHAM SQUARE (g, 2, Liam's Map--Linda {GSW, $407,310}, by Scat Daddy) was just a half-length short in a $150,000 maiden claimer at Keeneland Oct. 26 and was again narrowly beaten when stepping into maiden special weight company at Churchill going this distance Nov. 30. Adding the blinkers Saturday, the 6-5 favorite was kept right up on the pace early, surged forward to handle the tempo up the backstretch and was much the class of this field as he led...
Ocala Breeders' Sales Company (OBS) has catalogued 316 horses for its January Winter Mixed Sale to be held Jan. 28 and the OBSOnline January 2025 Sale is scheduled to begin Jan. 23, according to the auction company's Wednesday press release. The mixed single-session auction will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET. and features newly turned yearlings, broodmares, and broodmare prospects. Among the first-crop stallions represented with yearlings in the catalogue are OBS graduates Colonel Liam and Corniche, Early Voting, Epicenter, Golden Pal, Greatest Honour, Magic On Tap, Mandaloun, Mind Control, Mystic...
2nd-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 12:52 p.m. ET. A pair of 3-year-olds from the shedrow of Todd Pletcher will make their debut with Lasix from the inside gates. Exiting the rail spot is RUMOURS HAVE IT (Tapit). The filly is a Whisper Hill homebred who is out of dual champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro). Mandy Pope went to $9.5 million to acquire this dam at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale. Rumours Have It is her third foal and second to make the races. Emanating from next door is Taylor...
7th-Laurel, $48,305, Msw, 11-16, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.43, ft, 1 length. YARA'S QUEST (c, 2, Liam's Map--Yara {GSW, $398,390}, by Put It Back), given a 4-1 chance in this debut run, was hustled to the front from his inside draw and raced under pressure through an opening quarter in :22.64. Overtaken approaching the quarter pole and appearing to be heading the wrong way, Yara's Quest was resurgent along the rail in the stretch and battled back gamely to record a one-length victory over On the Level (Classic Empire). The winner is...
Seemingly at home on both synthetic and turf courses, No Mo Candy (Uncle Mo) picked up her third win in a row and her first in stakes company in the GIII Pebbles Stakes at Aqueduct. Unveiled going 1m70 June 27 at Gulfstream Park, she missed by diminishing neck over that synthetic track and turned her luck around in that next start when she graduated July 26 by the same margin. Last seen putting up her best Beyer number to date, an 83 when she won against optional claiming company going...