By Alan Carasso
Trainer Ian Wilkes has spent enough time in this business to know that not every animal is straight-forward.
More times than not, a cagey veteran such as Wilkes finds the key to unlock his runners' true ability, and that seems to be the case with Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who won his second straight since the addition of a set of blinkers and joined the Triple Crown fray in earnest in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
“The key is the blinkers. I had to put the blinkers on because he wasn't helping me at all,” said Wilkes. “I had to help him. He wouldn't help the jockey. He wouldn't start running in the race. He'd run away from horses, wouldn't run into the dirt. He did everything wrong.”
A debut second for $150,000 tag going an insufficient six furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 26 and a running-on third trying two turns for the first time against maiden allowance company at Churchill Nov. 30, the homebred gelding was equipped with blinkers for the first time in a course-and-distance test Dec. 28 and the results were just what the doctor ordered. A nine-length success as the 13-10 chalk earned Burnham Square a chance to show he belongs with top 3-year-olds, and he proved it in no uncertain terms.
Drawn widest in the field of seven, Burnham Square was away fairly, but was no better than three or four deep into the first turn as the rail-drawn Kinetic Control (Not This Time) led from Mucho Macho Man Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Guns Loaded (Gun Runner). Fellow 'Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter) and stretching-out favorite Tappan Street (Into Mischief) raced in close attendance, while Burnham Square was wisely maneuvered down to the inside by Edgard Zayas after two furlongs were in the book.
Taking advantage of space at the inside, Burnham Square was asked to improve and was on the heels of the leaders nearing the entrance to the far turn. Guns Loaded and Ferocious squared off on swing for home and Tappan Street–off the track and no better than three or four wide–nevertheless began to chime in as well. The latter emerged with a clear lead as Ferocious and Guns Loaded began to paddle, but Burnham Square, hard-driven by Zayas, was picking up a very game Tappan Street with every stride and proved superior on the day before galloping out strongly.
Pedigree Notes:
Burnham Square is the 27th stakes winner and 12th graded winner for Liam's Map, whose dam Miss Macy Sue (Trippi) was sadly lost earlier this week at the age of 22. Daughters of the influential Scat Daddy are now responsible for 62 stakes winners, 36 at the graded or group level. Burnham Square is bred on a similar cross to GISW Basin, who is out of a mare by Scat Daddy's sire Johannesburg.
The Holy Bull winner is one of four foals out of Linda, victorious in the GIII Pin Oak Valley View Stakes and GII Mrs. Revere Stakes on the grass for the Ian Wilkes barn in 2016. Second dam Beautiful Noise also plied her trade on the turf, winning a trio of Grade II contests and finishing third in the GI Gamely BC H. while under the care of Ron McAnally, while Beautiful Noise's half-sister Listening (Night Shift) was a dual Grade I winner on the main track in the late 1990s.
Linda has a 2-year-old colt by Connect that made $100,000 from Joseph Bucci at last year's Fasig-Tipton October Sale and the mare produced a colt by Oscar Performance in 2024 after fetching $55,000 at Keeneland January. She was most recently covered by Life Is Good.
BURNHAM SQUARE ($10.60) blazed home in the $265,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at @GulfstreamPark for 20 @KentuckyDerby points! The gelding by Liam's Map (@LanesEndFarms) is trained by @IanWilkesRacing. @zayas_edgardo was on board.
Bet the Forward Gal: https://t.co/mnxsqMII2X pic.twitter.com/01yvSLf1JH
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 1, 2025
Saturday, Gulfstream
HOLY BULL S.-GIII, $250,000, Gulfstream, 2-1, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.60, ft.
1–BURNHAM SQUARE, 118, g, 3, by Liam's Map
1st Dam: Linda (GSW, $407,310), by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Beautiful Noise, by Sunny's Halo
3rd Dam: Listen Well, by Secretariat
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O/B-Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes;
J-Edgard J. Zayas. $151,900. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1,
$202,330. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Tappan Street, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Virginia Key,
by Distorted Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. ($1,000,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-WinStar Farm LLC, CHC,
Inc. and Cold Press Racing; B-Blue Heaven Farm (KY); T-Brad H.
Cox. $49,000.
3–Burning Glory, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Hail, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Juddmonte
(KY); T-William I. Mott. $24,500.
Margins: 1 3/4, 9 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 4.30, 1.70, 8.90.
Also Ran: Ferocious, He's Not Joking, Kinetic Control, Guns Loaded.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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