The Blame (Grade 3)- $275.000 Purse
CD- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
June 1, 2024

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. That race was won by Mb Stables, with Killer Instinct. Since then, that gelding has consistently been turning out triple digit SRF’s and would run second in the BC Turf. His grass success has continued into 2024. Our winner this year would love to have similar success, although it could come right here on the dirt, too. Let’s take a look at our field of seven:

1- Sunrise Bay (Royalty Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- Picked up in a claimer for $22.500 and has managed one win since. That came in July at SAR in an allowance, which led to a couple of stake opportunities that he was unable to step up in. Ever after those races, Sunrise Bay didn’t really impress in a couple of overnights that, in fairness, were on muddy tracks. Was dropped into a $40.000 claimer last month that he won and rekindled the trainer’s confidence in him.

2- Personal Ruler (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Personal Ruler was best as a three-year-old in 2022, but Mo Mentum Farm is hoping to get a lot more out of him. He picked up the gelding for $80.000 in an optional claimer at SA in late March and has run him once since. That was the $200.000 Knicks Go right here over KYD weekend, and he was second best though did not threaten the winner. Plenty that can built on with that, and now we’ll see how much further Mo Mentum Farm can take him.

3- Caveat Emptor (High Voltage, ridden by P Lopez)- It took this horse 18 races and almost two years to break his maiden, but that eventually came at HOU. He hit the board in many of them, and they were for good purses, so Caveat Emptor was making decent money during that period. Now, High Voltage is trying to move him forward and did get a win in the Forego Stakes (Not the SAR one) in February. Unfortunately, he has not done much in the two races that followed.

4- America First (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- Boasts the same winning percentage as Caveat Emptor, as both are 2-for-26 in their careers. He didn’t take as long to break his maiden, but the problem now is that it has been over two years (by two days) since his last win: the 2022 TX Derby. He’s had his moments since then which justify getting more chances but doesn’t show them often enough. Was fourth in the Knicks Go last time out.

5- Face The Lunatic (Martyparty, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Over his lifetime, Face The Lunatic has been able to consistently hit the board, doing so in 14 of 18 races, and 11 of his last 12. He’s won six times, including his last start, which was the $200.000 Marathon here last month. While he has done well in ungraded stakes or high-level optional claimers, he has not had a lot of graded experience but the last time he was in such a race, he was third in the SA Handicap. He appeals to me here; I just wonder if he’d better going a little longer than this.

6- Lunar Victory (Fractious, ridden by R L Moore)- He’s only won twice in 17 starts, but that’s a better clip than Caveat Emptor and America First, at least. His last two races have been struggles, and that’s a letdown, because it seemed like he was on the cusp of a lot more before that. A stretch from the $100.00 Lake Ontario Stakes through the Grade 2 GP Mile saw three seconds and a win, but then the poor races happened. It’s not too late to think he can’t rediscover that form, and I think he’s ready to bounce back nicely here.

7- Uranus (Threshold, ridden by A Beschizza)- The trainer picked this one up for $47.500 in a claimer, and turned him into a Grade 1 winner less than ten months later. Uranus had always showed promise before the claim and did run in the BEL, but Smokey Stover lost confidence in him. Threshold proved that Uranus was not done and would grab wins in both the Grade 3 Valedictory and the Grade 1 SA Handicap, the latter happening just three months ago. Comes out of a decent third in the Grade 3 Ali.

Prediction: 5-7-6-2

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES