Blame the Rider confirms affinity for turf by winning Singletary Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Once considered a Triple Crown prospect, Blame the Rider has found a home on turf.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, Blame the Rider won his turf-stakes debut in the $101,035 Singletary Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile. Blame the Rider ($32) was always near the front and held off 7-5 favorite La La Land to win by a head in 1:34.65.

Blame the Rider lost his first five starts on dirt and was nominated to the Triple Crown in January. He was eighth in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds on dirt in February in his stakes debut.

“I think he’s a late developer,” said jockey Mario Gutierrez. “We tried the grass, and it seemed to work.”

Blame the Rider, by Jimmy Creed, won a maiden race on turf at 9-1 in his debut on the surface. In that race and the Singletary, Blame the Rider raced near the front throughout for owners Paul and Zillah Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill.

“I couldn’t make the lead, but thank goodness he showed the ability,” Gutierrez said. “In the gallop-out, he got in a nice rhythm. I think it’s mental. I think he’s maturing.”