Liam's Map

You have to hand it to Liam's Map. Besides all his other merits, as a racehorse and now as a stallion, he has an unerring instinct for publicity. As a freshman, in 2019, the son of Unbridled's Song mustered only two stakes winners. Nothing wrong with that, from 46 starters. Champion American Pharoah had four, from 72. But when he struck the target at all, Liam's Map made sure he hit the bull's-eye. Both those stakes scores came in Grade I races, Basin taking the Hopeful and Wicked Whisper the...

Winless since last August, 'TDN Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) marked her return to the winner's circle in style, taking Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Sent off at 5-2 while searching for her first graded stakes victory, she was settled at the back of the compact field as 6-5 choice Con Lima showed the way through initial fractions of :24.16 and :48.69. Rallying from the back as the field compressed approaching the quarter pole, the Ken McPeek trainee strode through the center of the group and continued to gain...

A Triple Crown winner in his native Barbados, Saffie Joseph Jr. took his first shot at America's Classics in 2020 with GISP Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who failed to hit the board in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. last fall before heading to the sidelines for the remainder of the season. Fast forward to 2021, Joseph returns to the Triple Crown trail with another exciting prospect in Three Chimneys Farm and eFive Racing's Collaborate (Into Mischief), who is slated to contest Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby...

Two years ago, Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) parlayed a victory in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf into a battling success in the GII Mervin Muniz Memorial S. and--ultimately--a Horse of the Year title. Following in those considerable hoofprints, Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) validated odds-on favoritism in the event named in honor of the Fair Grounds' late, beloved racing secretary to continue on a similar trajectory, scoring by a 1 1/2-length margin that belied the ease with which it was accomplished. Away without incident from...

By Brian DiDonato & Steve Sherack What a difference a year makes. With a $750,000 filly from the first crop of Practical Joke leading the way, the first auction of 2-year-old sales season completed a very promising two-day run as the 2021 OBS March sale concluded with across-the-board gains compared to last year and numbers not too far off of 2019 stats recorded during more normal circumstances. Consigned by Top Line Sales as hip 311, Wednesday's highest-priced lot and the sale's overall topper was purchased by Japan's Hideyuki Mori, who...

The journey from Missouri to Hallandale Beach proved to be more than worth it for owners Robert and Lawana Low when they watched their speedy gray colt Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) flash past the wire to win the $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf. While Robert Low said they were confident going into the Pegasus, they were unconvinced that the newly-turned 4-year-old had to win by a landslide in order to be considered a top contender in his division. "I think it was a really nice field," he noted. "There...

The 2020 campaign of Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) picked up steam as it rolled along and the athletic gray colt picked up where he left off Saturday, as he found his way out of a jackpot and into the clear with time ticking away in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf and outfinished stablemate Largent (Into Mischief) to win the $1-million event. Cross Border (English Channel) rounded out the trifecta, while the outposted Social Paranoia (Street Boss) completed a 1-2-4 finish for trainer Todd Pletcher. Off...

It's now or never, guys! The deeper we go into our survey of Kentucky covering options for 2021, the fewer stallions remain standing. And those we reach today, about to launch a third crop of juveniles, have entered a decisive stage of their climb. Two or three are ascending confidently toward the next ridge; a handful are clinging tenaciously to a ledge; but many are now slithering unhappily down through the scree. Several have already disappeared into regional or overseas programs. For now, the leading Bluegrass farms are persevering with...

On the heels of the announcement Friday that top three leading second-crop sire Daredevil will return to the U.S. from Turkey to stand at Lane's End Farm, the Versailles nursery and stallion station released its full roster and stud fees for 2021. A total of 21 stallions will make up the roster, led again by stalwart Quality Road, who gets a fee cut from $200,000 to $150,000. A majority of key breeding sheds are cutting 2021 stud fees due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Candy Ride (Arg) will also see his...

Rushie, third behind Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby June 6 and behind Art Collector (Bernardini) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland last out July 11, benefitted from a bit of class relief and cutback in distance to break through at the graded level. Away in good order from the outside stall, the grey settled fifth early but worked his way up to third and deep as Vertical Threat (Tapiture) set the pace...

Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) worked her way out of a tough spot in the lane to blow away the field in Sunday's Runhappy Debutante S. at Ellis and earn the 'TDN Rising Star' nod. The grey was one of now three good-looking debut winners for Ken McPeek so far this meet when she ran to 19-10 favoritism going long on the lawn July 5, and she was the public's tepid pick in this full field to handle a different surface and sharper trip. Sluggish at the start and ridden along...

Sophomore Liam's Pride (Liam's Map), the winner of Friday's Gold Fever S. at Belmont Park, has been supplemented to Monday's Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale. He has been catalogued as hip 182 as part of the ELiTE draft. The colt is a half-brother to GISW Morning Line (Tiznow) and a grandson of MGISW November Snow (Storm Cat) from the strong female family of last year's G1 Epsom Derby winner and GI Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Click to view the enhanced online catalogue...