Liam's Map faces classy rivals in stakes debut in Harlan's Holiday
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – What Liam’s Map lacks in experience he may well be able to make up in raw talent when he takes the giant leap from entry-level allowance company into Saturday’s $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Despite moving well up in class and making just the fourth start of his career, Liam’s Map could go postward as the public’s choice in the 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday after winning his last two outings by a combined 21 lengths.
Trainer Todd Pletcher paid Liam’s Map a high compliment when comparing him to Graydar and Cross Traffic. Graydar jumped out of a first-level allowance victory to capture the 2013 Donn Handicap. Later that spring, Cross Traffic went from winning his entry-level allowance condition to finishing a close second in the Grade 3 Westchester and ultimately scored a triumph in the Grade 1 Whitney.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Liam’s Map. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 55-28-6-10 with a $3.62 ROI over the past five years in dirt routes at Gulfstream Park in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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“He’s by the same sire [Unbridled’s Song] and is the same color as both Graydar and Cross Traffic,” said Pletcher. “He’s a very fast horse, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do the same thing they did and successfully make the same big jump from a preliminary allowance. Off his last two efforts, we certainly think he’s worthy of the opportunity.”
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Although ungraded, the Harlan’s Holiday has certainly drawn a graded-stakes-quality field. Pants On Fire returns to south Florida off a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. The multiple graded stakes winner did not race here last winter but was third behind Cigar Street in the Grade 3 Skip Away in 2013.
Valid has won three of his last four starts for trainer Marcus Vitali, including the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup in July, when he easily defeated that race’s 2013 winner, Pants On Fire.
“He’s training like a monster, and I think he has gotten better with age,” said Vitali.
Csaba, a local favorite for several winters, won the Skip Trial here in July but has proven no match for Valid in each of their last two meetings.
KEY CONTENDERS
Liam’s Map (Last 3 Beyers: 100-98-90)
He owns the second-highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure in the field, the 100 he earned for his 11 1/2-length allowance win going a mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 16.
He will try two turns for the first time while forced to break from a disadvantageous post with such a short run to the first turn in 1 1/16-mile races at Gulfstream.
Pants On Fire (Last 3 Beyers: 95-106-98)
He’s the richest horse in the field, with career earnings of more than $1.4 million.
Valid (Last 3 Beyers: 101-98-101)
A horse for the course, Valid has posted three victories and a second in four starts at Gulfstream, although this will be his first try over the surface against stakes opposition.
He totes the high weight of 123 pounds, conceding two to nine pounds to his eight rivals.
Csaba (Last 3 Beyers: 89-92-77)
He is the workhorse of the field, having made 35 starts, 10 of those locally, although he’s tailed off since posting back-to-back stakes wins this year.