Grade III

El Salvador Thrives in the Slop to Win The Shawnee

Rain made a mess of CD on Saturday, leaving the track sloppy and soft for the day’s races. That also meant a couple scratches for The Shawnee, leaving us with a field of seven for the race. The weather forecast likely made Iolaus Racing thrilled even before the race, since El Salvador has proven she is a mudder.

Present Tense Should Be Tough to Beat in The Shawnee

Like the Blame Stakes, the Shawnee is a newer addition to the calender at CD, appearing for the first time in 2020 as an ungraded race, and staying that way for three years before becoming a Grade 3 last year. It has also seen gradual purse increases over that time, and the present $275.000 level is a high mark for the race.

Time To Play the Blame Game at CD

As we move into the month of June, we get to see a race that has been growing in stature: the Grade 3 Blame from CD. This race first appeared as an ungraded race in 2020, and since 2021, the purse has grown a bit every year and it would receive it’s graded status in 2023.