Beyond Blame caps big day for Cox in Regret Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With Louisville back in the spotlight as Triple Crown winner Justify returned to be feted on Saturday night, one of Louisville's own took a star turn of his own.

Louisville native Brad Cox, who was raised in the shadow of the twin spires, capped a successful evening as Beyond Blame won the Grade 3, $100,000 Regret Stakes. The trainer saddled three winners on the night, also including Mr Misunderstood in the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes. All three of his winners were ridden by Florent Geroux.

"It's been great," said Cox, who is enjoying a career year, with Kentucky Oaks heroine Monomoy Girl in his barn. In addition to his scores at Churchill Downs on Saturday night, the trainer also had a winner at Belmont Park, and three other on-the-board finishes between the two tracks. "It's been a good day, a great day."

This was the first graded stakes victory for Beyond Blame ($9), who broke from post 8 in the large field of 13, and was one of several fillies toward the outside of the gate bothered a bit at the start. She quickly recovered and was well placed in fifth under Geroux as Go Noni Go and Romantic Moment took the field through the opening half-mile in 47.13 seconds. The same pair led through a brisk three-quarters in 1:11.43 before Romantic Moment began to fade, eventually sinking to last. Meanwhile, Beyond Blame fanned wide into the stretch for clear running room and pulled alongside a game Go Noni Go. Despite drifting about, Beyond Blame took command and kicked clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths, getting an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.

"She is a filly that is figuring it out," Cox said. "I was glad to see her relax a little more today and not pull on the jock. Down at the Fair Grounds this winter – she's young, still learning and everything – but she did want to pull a little bit. She's learning to chill out and relax."

Beyond Blame stopped the clock in 1:48.94 for the nine furlongs on turf rated firm.

Go Noni Go held second by a nose over Heavenly Love, who was last early but rallied strongly late.

Beyond Blame, who races as a homebred for Pop-A-Top LLC, was unstarted as a juvenile. The Blame filly recorded two wins and two runner-up efforts from her first four outings, all at Fair Grounds, and was beaten just a length by Kabella when second in the Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial. She made her graded stakes debut on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, finishing sixth after a troubled trip in the the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes over the Churchill turf.

"I don't know if she would have won last time, but she definitely would have finished better than sixth [without] being steadied into the first turn last time," Cox said.

Cox will have options this summer for his newest stable standout, mentioning graded stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf in the coming months at Saratoga or Arlington as possible targets for Beyond Blame.

“Tons of options, but try to keep her in these graded stakes, and increase her value, hopefully,” the trainer said.