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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSOctober 30, 2015Liam CollinsTerry FinleyVincent ViolaTeresa ViolaLexington, Kentucky THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the Breeders' Cup dirt mile was Liam's Map. We are joined by Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, the other co‑owners, Vincent and Teresa Viola, as well as the namesake of this horse, Liam Collins. Thanks all and congratulations. Let's see. Mr.and Mrs.Viola, let's start with you and talk about that very difficult trip, Liam's Map boxed in almost the entire way. Your thoughts while you were watching the race? TERESA VIOLA: I was not worried about it. He's done that before, and I think he‑‑ I knew he would be fine. Once he gets his point, he'll just put it all out there. He wasn't ready to really put it all out there. THE MODERATOR: Vincent, is it safe to say you weren't quite so confident? VINCENT VIOLA: Quite frankly, I wasn't as confident, but I did see at the top of the stretch how he was sort of turning his stride was really comfortable. And with Liam, you know he's really running when his head sort of drops, sort of very comfortably but far forward. Once I saw him with that stride, that far forward stride, it reminded me the first time we saw him breeze on J.J. Crupi's farm. It was just a whole 'nother level of performance. Once I saw that, I got a little bit more confident. THE MODERATOR: Terry, with the way the horse looks, safe to say probably every jockey in the race knew exactly where he was. He was a target. Talk about the trip and what you were thinking as you were watching them come around the turn with nowhere to go. TERRY FINLEY: The thing I was thinking about is I was standing in the box right next to Liam Collins, and I saw a SpecialForces officer jumping up and down. And they're supposed to be cool and collected. I said, this is a magical game. And I just, I was very proud to stand next to you. VINCENT VIOLA: It is a magical game. THE MODERATOR: Now can we talk about Liam's Map's future, as far as was this definitively the last race? VINCENT VIOLA: Oh, yeah, he's going to get on a wonderfully comfortable van and head over to his new home, permanent home at Lane's End with the Farishes. We are humbled and honored that they would have an interest in stallion with their contribution in history in a game that's heralded. I think today Liam showed something special. He might be able to throw all kind of different style runners. Lane's End. You can talk to Mr.Farish, but I think we're pretty excited about his chances. THE MODERATOR: Now that this race is over, there was obviously some debate about which race to go into. Can you talk about that decision and now how it feels after the race has been run? VINCENT VIOLA: Teresa made that decision. So why were you so certain about the mile, I guess? TERESA VIOLA: I just think he was a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond, and I knew he could do the mile. Just felt confident that he would win. VINCENT VIOLA: I felt it was his natural distance. TERRY FINLEY: I thought it was a good choice [Laughter]. THE MODERATOR: For those that haven't heard, can one of you tell us about Liam's Map's name and Liam Collins? VINCENT VIOLA: To my left is a true American hero. Teresa and I were eye witnesses to the events of 9/11. Following those events, we chose to propose to the United States Army and the Military Academy the creation of a Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point, which we pledged to permanently endow. And I met Liam while he was the associate executive director and he later became an executive director‑‑ the executive director. We have a tradition in the United States Army when new folks come to a unit or a group, they're hailed. They're welcomed. And when folks leave, they're fare‑welled. So the ceremony's called a hail and farewell. Liam served as our executive director. He was moving on to a permanent professorship at the academy. So at that ceremony, we presented Liam a memento. And during his parting words, and I think he'll maybe explain the significance of it, he presented me with a gift. So on that, if the racing world will tolerate it, you might describe what you gave me. LIAM COLLINS: So he'd been such a great supporter and, you know, really great American in giving a lot to the academy and to the nation. So I thought, what can I give a guy that's given so much to us? So what I came up with was a map that I jumped into Afghanistan with. We jumped into Afghanistan in November of 2001. I explained what it was, kind of a silky map that you could take with you. You could use it if you have to escape and evade. It's serial numbered. So if it got separated from you, you would know whose it was and where they'd been. So that's what I gave to Vinny when I was leaving as a, you know, a small token of appreciation. Then later he told me he named a horse after me. First, I felt pretty mumbled, then it scared me half to death. All I could say is I hope it runs a heck of a lot faster than I ever ran. I think my fastest mile was 4:09. At least it's faster than I am. THE MODERATOR: Sounds like you were pretty excited watching the race. LIAM COLLINS: I was in Vinny's camp, not Teresa's camp. I was worried until the last straightaway. Q. Liam's Map has won several times. Given the fact every time he made a move, he was stopped, maybe two or three times, he's like an Engine being turned on and being shut off. Would you rate this the most impressive of all his wins? VINCENT VIOLA: I would say unequivocally, this is his most impressive race. He handled disruptions to his pace. He handled, quite frankly, disruptions from his perspective where he was vis‑a‑vis the other horses and he displayed a pace, an ability to pace that I think is a new dimension to him, quite frankly. I mean, I think breeders should take note of that. I think this was his best race. Someone told me, even though it's a few times tested, he broke the track record for this mile configured at Keeneland, so that's a good thing. THE MODERATOR: Terry and Teresa and Vinny, I would like all of you to tell us what it's like to win your first Breeders' Cup race. TERRY FINLEY: I thought it would be pretty cool, but it's a lot better than I even thought. So, I mean, this is what we talk about. We talk and we think about if you're in the ownership business, about winning the big ones, right, the Triple Crowns and the Metropolitan Mile and the Woodward and the Whitney. As soon as you get through the summer, we start thinking about standing in the Winner's Circle for the Breeders' Cup. And I can't believe we did it together. I'm, you know, so proud of this team. VINCENT VIOLA: Thank you. TERESA VIOLA: Great team. Good team. Terry's been an unbelievable friend. Taught me a lot. Had patience with me a lot, and I think we're‑‑ we'll do well for our future too. THE MODERATOR: Vinny, you've been involved with team sports at a very high level. Can you talk about owning horses? VINCENT VIOLA: I wished today for every young boy who attends the races with his dad like I did, that they could share and experience these feelings that I am today. I wish for that for every young American son and daughter, quite frankly. Every daughter and son. THE MODERATOR: Amen to that. Any other questions in the room? From the press boxes? Congratulations once again, everybody. Liam's Map, the winner of the Breeders' Cup dirt mile. VINCENT VIOLA: Thank you so much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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