Liam's Map (foaled 14 March 2011) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse. Unraced as a juvenile, he won three of his four races in 2014 without being tested against top-class opposition. As a four-year-old he emerged as one of the best horses in North America with win in the

Woodward Stakes The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward. The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Ra ...

and the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-end championship for North American t ...

. He was retired at the end of the season with a record of six wins and two places in eight starts.

Background

Liam's Map is a gray horse bred in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

by the Albaugh Family Stable. He was sired by the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup ...

winner

Unbridled's Song Unbridled's Song (February 18, 1993 – July 26, 2013) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Florida Derby and Wood Memorial. He was the favorite for the 1996 Kentucky Derby but suffered a cracked hoof in ...

from whom he inherited his gray color. Unbridled's Song's other major winners have included Zensational, Unrivaled Belle,

Will Take Charge Will Take Charge (foaled April 13, 2010) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the horse is best known for his wins in the 2013 Travers Stakes and Clark Handicap and for being beaten by a nose in the 2013 Breed ...

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

and

Eight Belles Eight Belles (February 23, 2005 – May 3, 2008) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who came second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby to the winner Big Brown. Her collapse just after the race resulted in immediate euthanasia. Earlier in the year, ...

. Liam's Map's dam Miss Macy Sue was a successful racemare who won eleven of her twenty-five races including the Grade III

Winning Colors Stakes The Winning Colors Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, four years old and older over a distance six furlongs on the dirt scheduled annually in late May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. History ...

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

in 2007. She was descended from the champion sprinter

Ta Wee Ta Wee (1966–1980) was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame race horse. Background Ta Wee was bred at the Tartan Stable of William L. McKnight (chairman of the board of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.). (The W. L. McKnight H ...

who was a half sister to

Dr Fager Dr. Fager (April 6, 1964 – August 5, 1976) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who had what many consider one of the greatest single racing seasons by any horse in the history of the sport. In 1968 at the age of four, he became the only horse ...

and to the broodmare Magic whose descendants included Unbridled. As a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

Liam's Map was consigned to the

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for i ...

sales and bought for $800,000 by St Elias Stables. He entered the ownership of Teresa Viola Racing Stables and was sent into training with

Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967 in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award seven times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming ( ...

Racing career

2014: three-year-old season

Liam's Map began his track career in a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

over seven furlongs on August 23 at

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...

. Ridden as in all of his 2014 starts by

John Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both ye ...

he took the lead in the stretch but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten two and a quarter

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the In ...

by the favored Three Alarm Fire. On September 26 the colt started favorite for a one-mile maiden at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Raci ...

and opened his winning account as he took the lead in the stretch and drew away to come home nine and a half lengths clear of Point Hope. Liam's Map next appeared in a one-mile allowance race at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing ...

on November 16 and recorded another emphatic win, finishing eleven and a half lengths clear of his six opponents. On his final appearance of 2014, Liam's Map was matched against older horses in the Harlan's Holiday Stakes over eight and a half furlongs at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meet ...

on December 13 and started favorite ahead of Pants On Fire, a six-year-old who had won four Graded stakes races and finished third to

Goldencents Goldencents (foaled March 7, 2010) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning consecutive runnings of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. As a two-year-old he ran three times, winning the Delta Jackpot Stakes and finishing second in t ...

in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The colt took the lead exiting the backstretch and got the better of a sustained struggle with the four-year-old

gelding A gelding is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven horse behavior, behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer a ...

Valid to win by half a length.

2015: four-year-old season

Liam's Map began his second season on June 19 at Belmont when he started odds-on favorite for an allowance race over one mile. Ridden by

Javier Castellano Javier Castellano (born October 23, 1977, in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Castellano began his riding career in 1996 at Santa Rita and La Rinconada racecourses in Venezuela. In June 1997 ...

he led from the start and won by one and a half lengths from the five-year-old gelding Confrontation, to whom he was conceding six pounds. The colt was then moved up sharply in class for the Grade I

Whitney Stakes The Whitney Stakes (run as the Whitney Handicap through 2013 and still sometimes referred to as such) is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of miles. The current purse is $1, ...

over nine furlongs at Saratoga in August and started 5/1 fourth choice behind

Tonalist Tonalist (foaled February 11, 2011) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Belmont Stakes, beating the favored California Chrome, who was attempting to win the Triple Crown. Tonalist won the Peter Pan Stakes ...

, Honor Code and Lea. Ridden by Mike Smith, he led from the start and kicked four lengths clear in the straight but was caught in the final stride and beaten a neck by Honor Code. After the race Pletcher said "He ran unbelievably well, setting those fractions to start and being there to the end. He just couldn't hold off a really good horse". On September 5 at Saratoga, Castellano resumed his partnership with Liam's Map when the colt started favorite for the Grade I Woodward Stakes. His main rivals appeared to be Effinex (

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse. Named after the City and Su ...

Wicked Strong Wicked Strong (foaled April 28, 2011 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He established himself as a contender for the 2014 Kentucky Derby with a win in the Wood Memorial Stakes. He finished fourth in both the Kentucky Derby and t ...

, Protonico (

Alysheba Stakes The Alysheba Stakes is a Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotlan ...

) and Coach Inge (

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-o ...

). Liam's Map led from the start, drew away from his rivals in the straight and won easily by four and three quarter lengths from Coach Inge with Wicked Strong in third. Pletcher commented "I'm just happy to see him get that Grade I that he deserves so much... he has that style where he can get into a cruising speed and just keep carrying it... He just gets into that rhythm and he just runs horses off their feet". At the

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was ...

meeting at

, Liam's Map's connections opted to miss a clash with

American Pharoah American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first h ...

in the Classic and instead contest the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on 30 October. Shortly before the race it was announced that an interest in the horse had been bought by Lane's End and that Liam's Map would be retired to the

Versailles, Kentucky Versailles () is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 9,316 according to 2017 cen ...

-based stud for the 2016 season. In the Dirt Mile, Liam's Map started 1/2 favourite against ten opponents headed by Lea, with the others including Red Vine, Wicked Strong, Bradester (

Monmouth Cup The Monmouth Cup Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event currently offers a purse of $400,000 ...

), Tapiture (runner-up in the race in 2014), War Envoy (

Britannia Stakes The Britannia Stakes is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) on the straight cours ...

), Mr Z (

Ohio Derby The Ohio Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-to-late June at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio. The Grade III stakes for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 1 miles. The race currently offers a pu ...

) and Valid. Castellano tracked the leaders as Bradester set the pace before switching out to make his challenge in the straight. Liam's Map overtook Lea inside the final furlong and drew away to win by two and a half lengths. Lea took second, three and a quarter lengths ahead of Red Vine who was in turn three and a quarter lengths clear of Wicked Strong in fourth. Castellano explained that he had intended to lead from the start and had to change his tactics when the colt did not break as quickly as expected. He commented "In this game you have to have a Plan B. I think the key was patience. He waited behind horses and it was phenomenal. He showed great skill. He can run on the pace or off the pace. I had to fight a little to put him behind horses, but when he was in the clear, he exploded". In the

Eclipse Awards The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

for 2015, finished runner-up to Honor Code in the poll for

American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part o ...

receiving 95 votes to his rival's 126.

Stud career

After Liam's Map's victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile,

Lane's End Farm Lane's End Farm is a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought b ...

announced publicly that they had acquired the rights to stand him as a stallion, alongside Eclipse Award nominee Honor Code, beginning in 2016. His initial stud fee was set at $25,000. Liam's Map's first winner came on July 21, 2019 when bay colt Basin won a six furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga. The colt is out of Appenzell, a daughter of

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

, who also produced millionaire Rise Up by Rockport Harbor. Basin would go on to become his sire's first graded stakes or stakes winner when he won the Grade I

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically ...

at Saratoga. The

Steve Asmussen Steven Mark Asmussen (born November 18, 1965) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. The leading trainer in North America by wins, he is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer and was inducted into the National M ...

-trained colt took the lead down the stretch and drew away to win by 6 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track.

Notable progeny

Liam's Map has sired four Grade One winners.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2011 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 1-r Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winners