Liam’s Map, Hit It a Bomb Shine on Breeders’ Cup Friday

Liam's Map overcame trouble for an impressive, come-from-behind victory in the Breeders’ Cup Las Vegas Dirt Mile. (All photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
by Frank Angst, @BH_FAngst
With the connections of Liam’s Map opting to race in the $1-million Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile rather than the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Woodward Stakes winner delivered on Oct. 30 at Keeneland Race Course.
Liam’s Map, who typically races on the lead, showed versatility as he rallied from fourth to score in the Dirt Mile, blowing past Grade 1 winner Lea in the stretch.
Liam’s Map, by Unbridled’s Song, entered Friday’s race off a clear victory in the Grade 1 Woodward after finishing a close second in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes. He led from start to finish in those races.
DIRT MILE REPLAY

Courtesy of Breeders’ Cup 
Trained by Todd Pletcher and guided to victory by Javier Castellano, Liam’s Map completed the mile test in 1:34.54. He was followed home by Lea and Red Vine.
The biggest favorite in the history of the Dirt Mile, Liam’s Map returned $3 to win, $2.40 to place, and $2.10 to show. 
The start will be the final career effort for Teresa Viola Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Liam’s Map, who will stand at Lane's End in 2016. Before the race Lane’s End announced it had bought into the colt. Viola said she wasn’t that nervous despite the change in running style as she thought Liam's Map was capable of rallying. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who secured his eighth Breeders’ Cup win, was not as confident.
“I was very concerned,” PLetcher said. “The one thing Javier talked about is that he's a horse with a lot of speed, but he's not always quick away from there on the first step. We were hoping he’d get a clean break, but he didn’t and was behind horses. I was very concerned at that point.”

HIT IT A BOMB RALLIED POWERFULLY TO WIN JUVENILE TURF

by Tom LaMarra, @BH_TLaMarra
Evelyn Stockwell’s Hit It a Bomb, last of 14 at the midpoint of the race, found room in the lane and surged late to win the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Ryan Moore rode Hit It a Bomb, a 2-year-old colt by War Front out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Liscanna. He is trained by Aidan O’Brien and was bred in Kentucky by his owner.
“I’m absolutely delighted. He won his maiden at the Curragh very nicely,” said O’Brien, who earned his ninth Breeders’ Cup win. “We were always looking forward to coming to Keeneland. When we got the outside draw we were worried and when the ground changed we were also worried. Ryan said he would let him really relax, because he knew what he could do. This was always the plan he’s a real classy miler. ”
Hit It a Bomb covered the mile on turf rated yielding in 1:38.86. He finished a neck ahead of Airoforce in second, with Birchwood a neck back in third and Conquest Daddyo fourth. Hit It a Bomb paid $16.40 to win.
Hit It a Bomb shipped to the United States off a pair of wins in Ireland in his first two starts, one on turf and the other on a synthetic surface. It was his first start in a graded or group stakes race.
Hit It a Bomb broke from the outside post 14 in the Juvenile Turf, which left Moore with little to do but try to save ground. He eventually moved the colt outside, and then in between horses on the backstretch in an attempt to save ground. It wasn't the easiest trip, and O’Brien said Hit It a Bomb prefers firmer ground.
“We discussed the trip before the race and what to do (from post 14),” O’Brien said. “We had to work with it from there. Obviously I didn’t know if he would get there or not.”
JUVENILE TURF REPLAY

Courtesy of Breeders’ Cup

CATCH A GLIMPSE GIVES CASSE FIRST BREEDERS’ CUP WIN

by Claire Novak, @BH_CNovak
Catch a Glimpse had been touting herself in the mornings, training strongly on Keeneland’s dirt main track, and the City Zip filly came through at the Lexington track, giving trainer Mark Casse his first Breeders' Cup win with a score in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Casse was 0-for-25 coming into the Juvenile Fillies Turf, but Catch a Glimpse pressed the pace throughout and galloped clear under jockey Florent Geroux, who is now 2-for-2 in Breeders’ Cup races.
Racing for Gary Barber, Michael Ambler and Windways Farm, the chestnut filly finished three-quarters of a length clear of fast-closing favorite Alice Springs. Nemoralia finished third.
Catch a Glimpse complete one mile in 1:39.08 on yielding turf.
“I kept telling everybody and nobody would listen to me; she's really good,” Casse said.
Catch a Glimpse was bred in Kentucky by Branch Equine out of the Irish River mare Halo River. The 2-year-old filly came into the race off a 5-length victory in the Sept. 12 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine. She paid $14.80 to win, $7 to place, and $5.80 to show.
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF REPLAY

Courtesy of Breeders’ Cup