Key contenders for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
Liam’s Map (Last 3 Beyers: 114-113-106)
• Comes off two dynamite performances at Saratoga, winning the Grade 1 Woodward by 4 3/4 lengths four weeks after losing the Grade 1 Whitney by a neck to Honor Code.
• Connections had the option to stretch him out to 1 1/4 miles in the $5 million Classic or cut him back to a mile, a distance at which he is 3 for 3. Owner Vinnie Viola opted for the known rather than the unknown.
• Figures to be the one to catch, though he has shown the ability to sit second should a horse like Mr. Z or Bradester be gunned to the lead.
Lea (Last 3 Beyers: 103-94-108)
• A late addition to this field after his connections opted to bypass the Mile on turf due to the likelihood of soft ground.
• Has finished first or second in six of eight career starts on dirt, including a Grade 1 score in the Donn Handicap.
• Is 3 for 3 at a mile on dirt, including two victories in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope.
Red Vine (Last 3 Beyers: 105-100-105)
• After making the first 13 starts of his career on turf, he has raised his game on dirt, firing off four consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in stakes company.
• Two starts back, he ran third behind Beholder, a runaway winner in the Pacific Classic.
• Ran well to be second behind the front-running Appealing Tale in the Grade 2 Kelso while finishing two lengths clear of multiple Grade 1 winner Honor Code.
• Figures to sit back and make a run and would benefit if someone could apply pressure to Liam’s Map early.
Wicked Strong (Last 3 Beyers: 102-104-103)
• Hasn’t won since the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in July 2014 but has usually run competitively to land a spot in the superfecta.
• Arguably his best race since losing the 2014 Travers by a nose came in his 4-year-old debut, when he finished fourth, beaten one length by Honor Code, in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap going a mile during the winter.
• Used a new dimension when put into the race early in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, where he finished second behind Tonalist.
Tapiture (Last 3 Beyers: 92-62-91)
• Runner-up in this race last year, he broke a long losing streak with a win against modest company in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap, a one-turn-mile race at Churchill Downs.