Blame Debbie brings top form to Red Carpet Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. – Greater distance and the addition of blinkers have made the difference during the second half of this year for Blame Debbie, who will seek to continue her top form in long-distance races Thursday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap, starting Del Mar's closing week.

The Red Carpet, at 1 3/8 miles on turf for older fillies and mares, drew a field of 10, including shippers Orglandes for Chad Brown and Woodfin for Victoria Oliver. The locals are headed by California Kook, runner-up in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks during the summer meet.

Top Eastern riders Joel Rosario (California Kook), Irad Ortiz Jr. (Orglandes), and Manny Franco (Blame Debbie) are here all week.

Blame Debbie is the first of five runners trainer Graham Motion sent west with assistant Alice Clapham for stakes this week. Blame Debbie has crossed the wire first in her last three starts since adding blinkers, and owns two victories, the lone setback a controversial disqualification at Kentucky Downs in a first-level allowance.

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Her last race was her best. Sent 1 1/2 miles for the first time, and with Franco up for the first time, Blame Debbie got away with a soft pace and led from start to finish in the Grade 3 Dowager at Keeneland, just 16 days after a first-level allowance win there.

“It’s been a little frustrating. It took a little while to figure out what she wanted to do,” Motion said. Blame Debbie was hard for her rider to handle in a stakes at Saratoga, then came the DQ at Kentucky Downs.

“We got on track with her at Keeneland. This kind of fell into place,” Motion said. “My concern is that she’s been going all year.”

This will be her eighth start of the year, following outings in Florida, New York, and Kentucky.

Orglandes comes off an eye-catching win against a second-level allowance field at Belmont Park on Oct. 9, her second start following a 54-week layoff. She got up in time going 1 1/8 miles that day despite a lack of pace, and the extra distance here should suit, as she won twice at 1 1/2 miles or farther in her final two races in her native France.

Woodfin has failed at the first-level allowance condition seven times since a maiden win in June 2019, so of the shippers she’s clearly the longest shot.

California Kook has had an ambitious schedule in recent months, but has done well. After the Del Mar Oaks, she was a respectable fourth two weeks later against males in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, then was fifth against a top-class field in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. She benefits from class relief, and a rail draw

California Kook was entered back in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, to be run Saturday, but trainer Peter Miller on Sunday said that was done to have a look and that he was leaning toward running her Thursday.

Never Be Enough and Colonial Creed were one-two over this course Oct. 31 in the restricted Kathryn Crosby going a flat mile, where the race shape flattered their late runs.

Going to Vegas, second in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss last month at Santa Anita, is another mile specialist who will try to handle a significant increase in distance.

Quick landed the poor outside post, but was a good second at this distance during the summer meet in the CTT and TOC Stakes.

Aunt Lubie and Hollywood Girl have both failed in multiple attempts at a first-level allowance.

The Red Carpet is race 6 on an eight-race card that begins at 11 a.m. Pacific.