The Blame (Grade 3)- $275.000 Purse
CD- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
May 31, 2025

Heading into The Blame, Lunar Victory looked like he would be tough to beat, and in the end, he would not be. However, he had some company in the winner’s circle, as Senor Vinagre Y Agua was able to draw even with him at the wire, creating a dead heat between the two. Lunar Victory, who is trained by Mb Stables, has now won The Blame in back-to-back years, although last year he did not have to share the top prize. For Mb Stables, it is his third win in the race, and it’s the first-time jockey J R Velazquez has such a win. Senor Vinagre Y Agua was more of a surprise, going off at odds of 11/1, and his trainer, YME Stable, hopes that this will mark a return of the horse that was once seen in the Pacific Classic and Whitney. It’s the first win in the race for YME Stable, and the second for his rider, T Gaffalione. Congratulations to all parties involved! The time of the win was 1:47.44, the second quickest in the history of the Blame. Let’s take a look at it now:

(½ Mile- :47.18)- Right from the start, the two co-winners pull away from the rest of the field. It will be Lunar Victory, from Mb Stables, having the early advantage over YME Stable’s Senor Vinagre Y Agua here, with a break of nearly two lengths to Martyparty’s Face The Lunatic. They are lined up behind him, with Themefrom Antarctica (Ajm Stables), followed by Ultra Maga (TwinTowersRacing), then Sick Boi (Royalty Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.15)- There is not much new to report at the backstretch run concludes and into the turn. Senor Vinagre Y Agua has gotten a little closer to Lunar Victory, and they are side by side at this point of the race. The same gap of two lengths exists behind them, with Face The Lunatic leading the line that has Themefrom Antarctica, Ultra Maga, and Sick Boi behind him. Sick Boi was starting to position himself to make a move just as they reached six furlongs, so we’ll see what happens there.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Out in front, Lunar Victory and Senor Vinagre Y Agua still cannot get away from one another and are still side by side entering the stretch. Surely, an entertaining battle was about to take place there. But would they be joined by anyone else? Face The Lunatic had not gotten any closer, nor had Themefrom Antarctica. Sick Boi was now side by side with Ultra Maga but would still have a lot of work to do.

(Finish- 1:47.44)- Down the stretch, Lunar Victory and Senor Vinagre Y Agua matched each other’s stride, but in the closing moments the rest of the field was gaining on them. This was especially true for Sick Boi, who turned it on in the final half furlong. Face The Lunatic was inching closer, but not at as quick of a rate. At the wire, no one knew who had the upper hand between the top two, and the stewards couldn’t decide either, and declared the dead heat between Lunar Victory and Senor Vinagre Y Agua. Sick Boi’s charge allowed him to be seen in the same photo, but he needed just a little more time. Face The Lunatic is fourth, ahead of Themefrom Antarctica and Ultra Maga.

About The Winners:
Lunar Victory, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a five-year-old gelding by Residue and is out of Havre de Grace. He was bred in Ontario by Fractious as a third quarter two-year-old and was acquired by Mb Stables for $600.000 in a December 2024 private sale. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his seventh in 27 starts, his sixth stake win and fifth graded win. His career earnings are now $2,542.960.

Senor Vinagre Y Agua, trained by YME Stable and ridden to victory by T Gaffalione, is a six-year-old gelding by the late Nodoubtimsharp and is out of Charming Lucy. He was also bred in Ontario as a third quarter two-year-old, by YME Stable, the only trainer of which he has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fifth in 16 starts, his second stake win and first graded win. His career earnings are now $482.350.

Track: Fast
Time: :47  1:11  1:35¹  1:47²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 5 Paid 7.10, 5 – 1 Paid 7.90
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 5 – 6 Paid 264.60, 5 – 1 – 6 Paid 528.20

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES