Blame tunes up for Schaefer

Blame, winner of the signature race of the 2009 fall meet at Churchill, the Grade 2 Clark Handicap, continues to make progress toward his first start of the year, which will come on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico, where he is expected to be a solid favorite in the Grade 3 Schaefer Handicap. Blame breezed six furlongs Tuesday in 1:14.40 over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland.

"He'll work again Monday before we leave out on the plane with all the Preakness horses" on Wednesday, said Al Stall Jr., who trains Blame for breeder-owners Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.

Blame will be ridden by Garrett Gomez in the 1 1/16-mile Schaefer.