West Point Thoroughbreds purchases interest in Liam's Map

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – West Point Thoroughbreds purchased a minority interest in the Grade 1 Woodward winner Liam’s Map just days before his victory in the $600,000 race at Saratoga, the connections said Sunday.

Terry Finley, the head of West Point, and Vinnie Viola, the original owner of Liam’s Map along with his wife, Teresa, are both graduates of West Point, where they left the Army as captains and Airborne Rangers. West Point and the Violas have been partners in horses before, most notably campaigning the Grade 1 winner Ring Weekend and the Grade 2 Peter Pan winner Freedom Child. Vinnie Viola raced under the moniker St. Elias Stable for those horses.

Liam’s Map, a son of Unbridled’s Song, won the Woodward by 4 3/4 lengths Saturday after getting beat a head by Honor Code in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 8. Liam’s Map has a record of 5-2-0 from seven starts.

"They were just incredibly generous and kind to give Debbie, my wife, and me a chance to participate under the West Point banner and join in the ownership of this colt," Terry Finley said. "He’s a very special horse, and I think he’s an unbelievable stallion prospect. It's amazingly cool to be a small part of this."

"We are very happy to have Terry and Debby as our partners,” Vinnie Viola wrote in an e-mail. “West Point Thoroughbreds is a championship organization.”

Liam’s Map is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup, but it’s uncertain whether he will run in the $1 million Dirt Mile on Oct. 30 or the $5 million Classic on Oct. 31.