# Colonel Liam Stakes

The Colonel Liam Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late February or early March on the turf course at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, over a distance of 1 1/16 miles. A listed event open to three-year-old horses and currently offers a purse of $200,000.

## History

The inaugural running in 1987 was run as the Palm Beach Handicap for horses age three and older. Since then it has been run on an allowance weight basis.
Kitten's Joy, who won the race in 2004, went on to be named that year's Champion Turf Horse after winning the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and Secretariat Stakes and finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Turf. 2010 winner Paddy O'Prado finished third in the Kentucky Derby, first in the Secretariat, and sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic in his three-year-old season. 1993 winner Kissin Kris went on to finish seventh in the that' year's Kentucky Derby, second in the Belmont Stakes, first in the Haskell Invitational Stakes, and third in the Breeders' Cup Classic in his three-year-old season.
Jockey Chris Antley's February 9, 1991 win aboard Magic Interlude was one of his five wins that day.
The race was run in two divisions in 1989. It was switched to dirt in 1990, 1993 and 1995.
The Palm Springs has been run at several distances:
* 7 furlongs – 1990
* 1 mile – 1987–1989
* 1+1⁄16 miles – 1991–1994, 2015 to present
* 1+1⁄8 miles – 1995–2014
The event was downgraded to Listed status in 2021.
In 2023 the event was renamed as the Colonel Liam Stakes after Colonel Liam who won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational twice.

## Records

Speed record: (at current distance of 1-1/16 miles)
* 1:40.38 – Ticonderoga (2017)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 3 – Jerry Bailey (2002, 2003, 2004)
* 3 – Javier Castellano (2008, 2009, 2016)
* 3 – John Velazquez (2012, 2014, 2018)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 – William I. Mott (1984, 1985, 1998, 2014)
* 3 – Dale L. Romans (2004, 2007, 2010)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey (2003, 2004)
* 2 – Peter Vegso (2002, 2006)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade |
| Colonel Liam Stakes ||||||||||
| 2023 | Dude N Colorado (GB) | 3 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd Pletcher | Three Diamonds Farm | 1 mile | 1:35.05 | $200,000 | Listed |
| Palm Beach Stakes ||||||||||
| 2022 | Coinage | 3 | | Mark E. Casse | | abt. 1 mile | 1:36.12 | | Listed |
| 2021 | Annex | 3 | | William I. Mott | | 11⁄16 M | 1:40.62 | | Listed |
| 2020 | Vitalogy (GB) | 3 | Javier Castellano | Brendan Walsh | Qatar Racing, M. Detampel & Bottle Rocket Stable | 11⁄16 M | 1:41.86 | $150,000 | III |
| 2019 | A Thread of Blue | 3 | Luis Saez | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Leonard Green | 11⁄16 M | 1:41.93 | $150,000 | III |
| 2018 | Maraud | 3 | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | Treadway Racing Stable | 11⁄16 M | 1:41.01 | $100,000 | III |
| 2017 | Ticonderoga | 3 | Joel Rosario | Chad C. Brown | Woodford Racing, LLC | 11⁄16 M | 1:40.38 | $100,000 | III |
| 2016 | Converge | 3 | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Paul P. Pompa Jr. | 11⁄16 M | 1:40.64 | $150,000 | III |
| 2015 | Eh Cumpari | 3 | Jose C. Caraballo | Michael Dilger | Anstu Stables | 11⁄16 M | 1:40.96 | $150,000 | III |
| 2014 | Gala Award | 3 | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | M. Tabor/Derrick Smith/Susan Magnier | 11⁄8 M | 1:46.19 | $150,000 | III |
| 2013 | Rydilluc | 3 | Edgar Prado | Gary C. Contessa | Green/Dellatore-Bobo/et al. | 11⁄8 M | 1:48.18 | $150,000 | III |
| 2012 | Howe Great | 3 | John Velazquez | Graham Motion | Team Valor International | 11⁄8 M | 1:46.56 | $150,000 | III |
| 2011 | Joes Blazing Aaron | 3 | Orlando Bocachica | Allan hunter Jr. | Joseph Witek | 11⁄8 M | 1:47.85 | $150,000 | III |
| 2010 | Paddy O'Prado | 3 | Jesus Castanon | Dale L. Romans | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 11⁄8 M | 1:45.40 | $150,000 | III |
| 2009 | El Crespo | 3 | Javier Castellano | George R. Arnold II | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. | 11⁄8 M | 1:47.71 | $150,000 | III |
| 2008 | Sporting Art | 3 | Javier Castellano | Christophe Clement | Jon & Sarah Kelly | 11⁄8 M | 1:45.98 | $150,000 | III |
| 2007 | Duveen | 3 | Mark Guidry | Dale L. Romans | Andrew Farm | 11⁄8 M | 1:47.48 | $150,000 | III |
| 2006 | Go Between | 3 | Edgar Prado | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | 11⁄8 M | 1:45.80 | $100,000 | III |
| 2005 | Interpatation | 3 | Thomas G. Turner | Robert Barbara | Elliot Mavorah | 11⁄8 M | 1:47.12 | $100,000 | III |
| 2004 | Kitten's Joy | 3 | Jerry Bailey | Dale L. Romans | Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey | 11⁄8 M | 1:48.76 | $100,000 | III |
| 2003 | Nothing To Lose | 3 | Jerry Bailey | D. Wayne Lukas | Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey | 11⁄8 M | 1:48.28 | $100,000 | III |
| 2002 | Orchard Park | 3 | Jerry Bailey | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | 11⁄8 M | 1:49.80 | $100,000 | III |
| 2001 | Proud Man | 3 | René Douglas | Harry Benson | Robert Kaufman et al. | 11⁄8 M | 1:48.32 | $100,000 | III |
| 2000 | Mr. Livingston | 3 | Shane Sellers | William A. Kaplan | David & Teresa Palmer | 11⁄8 M | 1:48.04 | $75,000 | III |
| 1999 | Swamp | 3 | Richard Migliore | John C. Kimmel | Heiligbrodt Racing Stable | 11⁄8 M | 1:48.38 | $75,000 | III |
| 1998 | Cryptic Rascal | 3 | Mike E. Smith | William M. Badgett Jr. | Landon Knight | about 11⁄8 M | 1:55.0 | $75,000 | III |
| 1997 | Unite's Big Red | 3 | Ruben Hernandez | Randy Mills | Joan Williams | 11⁄8 M | 1:47.2 | $75,000 | III |
| 1996 | Harrowman | 3 | Mike E. Smith | Robert Reid Jr. | Gulyas Stable | 11⁄8 M | 1:49.2 | $75,000 | III |
| 1995 | Admiralty | 3 | Julie Krone | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 11⁄8 M | 1:51.0 | $75,000 | III |
| 1994 | Mr. Angel | 3 | Herb McCauley | Martin D. Wolfson | Marian Prince | 11⁄16 M (±) | 1:44.4 | $50,000 | III |
| 1993 | Kissin Kris | 3 | Dave Penna | David R. Bell | John Franks | 11⁄16 M | 1:46.4 | $50,000 | III |
| 1992 | Preferences | 3 | Jorge Duarte | Martin D. Wolfson | Harbor View Farm | 11⁄16 M | 1:42.6 | $50,000 | III |
| 1991 | Magic Interlude | 3 | Chris Antley | Joseph H. Pierce Jr. | Pastime Stable (G. Watts Humphrey Jr. et al.) | 11⁄16 M | 1:43.0 | $50,000 | III |
| 1990 | Dawn Quixote | 3 | Craig Perret | Sonny Hine | Scott C. Savin | 7 F | 1:23.4 | $50,000 | III |
| 1989-1 | Shy Tom | 3 | Randy Romero | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 1 M | 1:37.2 | $40,000 | |
| 1989-2 | Storm Predictions | 3 | Steve Gaffalione | Luis A. Olivares | Lisa Becker | 1 M | 1:36.2 | $40,000 | |
| 1988 | Tanzanid | 3 | Douglas Valiente | William J. Cesare | Three G Stable (B. Morton Gittlin family) | 1 M | 1:35.6 | $50,000 | |
| 1987 | Racing Star | 5 | Santiago Soto | Manuel A. Estevez | Five Star Stable | 1 M | 1:34.8 | $50,000 | |