Liam's Map Stays On Target for BC Dirt Mile

Teresa Viola Racing Stables' grade I winner Liam's Map breezed five furlongs at Keeneland the morning of Oct. 11 as the colt continued working toward the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) Oct. 30.

"He hasn't run in a little while so we wanted to get just a good stamina-building breeze in him," trainer Todd Pletcher said shortly after the move in 1:00 1/5 on brisk fall morning at the Lexington track. "Just keeping him on target."

Pletcher said the decision to run Liam's Map in the Dirt Mile rather than the Classic (gr. I) was not easy since "you could make a case for either race. But talking to the owners, they seemed most comfortable with the mile. If the Classic had been a mile-and-an-eighth we would have gone that way but (not) at a mile-and-a-quarter a distance that he has never had an opportunity to run. We feel like he's a brilliant miler."

Pletcher said that the Dirt Mile this year being a two-turn race at an actual distance of about one mile and 70 yards should not pose a problem for Liam's Map. "He seems to run turns very well and he's also run well at a one-turn mile. He's just a very good horse," the trainer said.

A 4-year-old son of Unbridled's Song, Liam's Map is coming off an impressive victory in the Sept. 5 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course.

Also working Oct. 11 for Pletcher was Stopchargingmaria, a 4-year-old daughter of Tale of the Cat   who went a half-mile in :48 3/5 in preparation for the Longines Distaff (gr. I).

Owned by Town and Country Farms, the filly has won or placed in 12 of 15 starts, including grade I victories in the TVG Coach Club American Oaks and Alabama Stakes and most recently was fourth in the Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I).