Laddie Liam wires Maryland Futurity, sells Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton as part of Besecker dispersal

Laddie Liam went wire to wire to win the $100,000 Maryland Futurity by 4 1/2 lengths at Laurel Park on Saturday, giving jockey Sheldon Russell his third straight win on the card. Russell had previously won the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and an allowance race.

Laddie Liam is owned by Joseph Besecker but is scheduled to change hands Tuesday as part of Besecker's dispersal of more than 100 horses at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed and horses of racing age auction at Timonium, according to the outfit's racing manager, Jeff Matty.

Besecker has raced horses in his name since 1998, has won 894 races, and has stable earnings of just under $17 million. His barn typically is comprised of claiming and allowance runners. Laddie Liam, who Besecker purchased as a yearling at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton December sale for $14,500, is his fifth stakes winner.

Besecker's best runner has been Aztec Sense, who he claimed for $12,500 and won six stakes with, including the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper at Gulfstream Park. Aztec Sense has not raced in close to 11 months but is back in training with Jorge Navarro in Florida.

Laddie Liam, who is trained by Hugh McMahon, is now 3 for 5 with earnings of $128,556. Like Hello Beautiful, winner of the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship winner Saturday at Laurel, Laddie Liam is by Golden Lad and was bred by the Hillwood Stables of Ellen Charles.

Golden Lad, whose first crop are 2-year-olds, will stand the 2020 season for a $5,000 fee at the Northview Stallion Station in Maryland.

Laddie Liam paid $6.60 as the third choice in the six-horse field and was timed in 1:23.51.

Stone Courageous finished second. Tommy Shelby was third, a half-length farther back.

Hello Beautiful romps in Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship

Hello Beautiful scored an 11 3/4-length front-running victory in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, which attracted a field of eight Maryland-breds.

A daughter of Golden Lad, the Championship was Hello Beautiful’s second consecutive stakes victory. She won the Maryland Million Lassie by 3 3/4 lengths on Oct. 19.

Hello Beautiful returned $5 as the favorite and covered seven furlongs in 1:22.43. She is trained by Brittany Russell and was ridden by her husband Sheldon. Hello Beautiful is now 3 for 6.

Miss J McKay, the 8-5 second choice, finished second, two lengths ahead of longshot Naughty Thoughts.