Blame wins the Whitney Handicap
Blame got up in the dying strides to win the 83rd running of the Grade One Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.
The start was delayed when Haynesfield broke through the stalls but he also broke first for Ramon Dominguez when the gates opened. But it was Quality Road who led into the first turn and he was breezing down the back stretch ahead of Musket and Haynesfield on a dirt course that was riding fast.
But it also seemed plenty fast enough for the rest of the field as they headed to the far turn when both Musket Man and Haynesfield were rousted to try and make a challenge.
John Velazquez appeared to have the race under control early in the home stretch on Quality Road as he had a quick check to see if either of the horses tracking could be a serious threat. What he could not see behind in fourth was Blame, who was beginning to get on a roll for Garret Gomez.
Quality Road was still about a length-and-a-half in front of Musket Man with two furlongs to run, but with Blame starting to close significantly now. Now Velazquez, who seemed to spend a lot of time looking over his shoulder and around, went for the stick but Quality Road perhaps did not find as much as his jockey may have believed he would. However, Gomez was getting answers to every question he threw at his horse and Blame came with a strong late run.
Fifty yards out and Velazquez must have know the game was up as Blame came by to land his fifth straight win, this time by a nose, as Musket Man finished third.
Blame (pictured left), who has won eight of his 11 starts, and more than $1.5million, is the new kid on the block and proving that he is going to be staying around but what it proved in terms of the Breeders’ Cup Classic is open to debate. Quality Road had come into this race as the top-rated American runner this year on the strength of his wins in the Grade One Donn and Metropolitan Handicaps.
But if this was supposed to be the chance for Quality Road to stake a claim for the Classic then it would be hard to believe that he would get 10 furlongs at Churchill Downs in a horsebox; although he could be the classiest miler around. Blame was receiving 5lbs from Quality Road so it might be fair to say that the Al Stall-trained colt will need to improve more if he is to meet the likes of Zenyatta at Churchill Downs in November; for which Blame now receives an automatic entry by winning the Whitney.
“I moved up at the three-eighths pole, I felt pretty confident then,” Gomez told the Daily Racing Form. “I was just biding my time until we turned for home. I just didn’t want to sit too long because I know he’s got a long consistent run that just keeps coming, so I wanted to make sure when we turned for home I did have him placed into a long stride like he has and I thought I could wear [Quality Road] down.”
Velazquez came away saying that Quality Road was “just going through the motions.”
Earlier on the card Champagne d’Oro won her second Grade One in her last three starts in the Test Stakes. The Eric Guillot-trained filly got involved in a ferocious speed duel with Pica Slew until the field turned into the home stretch. But, while Pica Slew began to fall back, Champagne d’Oro still found more for Miguel Mena as she came four-and-a-half lengths clear in the last two furlongs with Bonnie Blue Flag second and the late-closing Belle Of The Hall taking third.
Bill Mott reached a personal milestone when he became the ninth trainer in America to train 4,000 winners when Mystic won the seventh race at Saratoga.
At Mountaineer Park Concord Point won the Grade Two West Virginia Derby for Bob Baffert and Martin Garcia.
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