8th-Saratoga, $105,000, Alw (NW2$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 8-29, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:15.05, ft, 6 lengths.
BEAU LIAM (c, 3, Liam's Map–Belle of Perintown {GSW, $265,465}, by Dehere) showed Sunday just how well-stocked the Steve Asmussen barn is with top sprinters, as he zipped away to his third win from as many tries as day after stablemates Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and Yaupon (Uncle Mo) annexed the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. and GI Forego S., respectively. A shoe-in for 'TDN Rising Star'-dom off a 7 1/2-length debut drubbing at Churchill May 29, the bay was even-money in one of the toughest first-level allowances here in recent memory July 17, and out-nosed promising Chad Brown pupil Witsel (Nyquist) to earn a gaudy 106 Beyer Speed Figure. Looking like lock on paper here, the 2-5 favorite was pursued by Night Time (Majesticperfection) through swift splits of :22.14 and :44.92. Asked to quicken after straightening for home, Beau Liam hit another gear and quickly scampered away from his competition to air by six lengths. The victory was the third straight on the card for Ricardo Santana, Jr., who also rode both of Asmussen's Grade I winners Saturday, along with his GI Runhappy Travers S. runner-up Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow). Asmussen trained Liam's Map's first two Grade I winners, Basin and Wicked Whisper, and was represented on Friday at Monmouth by the very impressive debut-winning turf sprinter Cheeky Chaps (Liam's Map). The winner is half to Tomlin (Distorted Humor), MSW & MGSP, $251,895; and Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song), GSW, $193,966, plus unraced 2-year-old filly Ari Oakley (Gun Runner) and a yearling filly by Good Magic. Strike It Rich's New York-bred son Sea Foam (Medaglia d'Oro) took the Evan Shipman H. here by five lengths earlier this month. Sales history: $385,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $171,888. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
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