Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Liam's Map in comfort zone
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In the end, it came down to doing what you know you do best.
So, instead of wondering if Liam’s Map could carry his speed 1 1/4 miles against the likes of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and champion mare Beholder in Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, handicappers will be wondering if Liam’s Map can lose Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland.
Trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Vinnie and Teresa Viola had always targeted the Dirt Mile for Liam’s Map. It wasn’t until after the gray colt’s victory Sept. 5 in the Woodward Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga that the Classic even came into the picture. But it didn’t stay in focus very long.
“You could certainly argue that he would fit in there, but we felt like he’s a brilliant miler,” Pletcher said. “We wanted to go with what we know he can do rather than what we think he might be able to do.”
Most people will think that in the Dirt Mile, Liam’s Map will go to the front under Javier Castellano and improve his position. As part of his 5-for-7 race record, Liam’s Map is 3 for 3 at a mile, though those races were not stakes. Still, he ran a brilliant race in the Grade 1 Whitney, losing by a neck to the Classic-bound Honor Code, before dominating the Grade 1 Woodward by almost five lengths.
Liam’s Map will break from post 3 in the Dirt Mile. With Bradester to his inside and Mr. Z to his outside, there is other speed in the field. But are they really fast enough to run with Liam’s Map?
“We’re going to let him run to the first turn,” Pletcher said. “Someone will have to be rolling to be in front of him, I think. Should that scenario arise and he’s not on the lead, I still think he can run well.”
Pletcher brought his 11-horse Breeders’ Cup contingent to Keeneland in plenty of time to get them acclimated to the surroundings and the main track. Liam’s Map breezed twice, including a visually impressive five-furlong move in 1:01.20 on Oct. 22.
“I thought his last breeze was as nice as a horse will breeze,” Pletcher said. “It was fun to watch.”
Tapiture finished second in last year’s Dirt Mile to the front-running Goldencents. Tapiture is only 1 for 5 this year and is coming off a win in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill Downs last month. Still, trainer Steve Asmussen has a hard time thinking Liam’s Map is vulnerable even with other speed in the race.
“Most likely, he takes all they can give and makes it look like nothing, as we’ve seen in his previous races this year,” Asmussen said. “You are imagining a scenario which is favorable for us. I think the key word of that is imagining.”
Asmussen likes how Tapiture has trained since the Ack Ack.
“He’s touting himself,” Asmussen said. “It’ll take the race of his life, but he’s sitting on the race of his life.”
Red Vine, who breaks from the rail under Joel Rosario, has run six times on dirt and has yet to finish worse than third. He found Beholder too much to take in the Pacific Classic but ran a respectable second behind the front-running Appealing Tale in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont in the slop Oct. 3. Appealing Tale was scheduled to run in the Dirt Mile until being sidelined by an ankle injury.
The intriguing late addition to the field is Lea, who was being pointed to the $2 million Mile on turf until an unfavorable weather forecast prompted trainer Bill Mott to call an audible.
Lea, who breaks from post 5 under Jose Lezcano, is a three-time graded stakes winner on dirt, including a victory in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap in 2014. In his most recent dirt start, Lea finished sixth, 11 1/4 lengths behind Honor Code, in the Whitney over a Saratoga main track that Mott didn’t think he liked.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Lea. Trainer Bill Mott is 18-1-3-4 with a $0.13 ROI over the past five years going turf to dirt in stakes races (8-0-1-1 in graded stakes). – Mike Hogan
Wicked Strong has lost nine consecutive races since taking the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in July 2014. He did run a respectable second to Tonalist in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last out and was beaten only a length in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, where he finished behind Honor Code, Private Zone, and Valid.
His connections, owner Centennial Farms and trainer Jimmy Jerkens, won the inaugural Dirt Mile in 2007 with Corinthian.
Valid, Street Strategy, and War Story complete the field.
The Dirt Mile goes as race 7 at 4:10 p.m. Eastern on the 10-race card.