Blamed delivers as favorite in Comely Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Blamed took advantage of a sharp start for herself and a bad start for one of her main rivals to record a three-quarter-length victory in Friday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct.

Breaking alertly under Julien Leparoux, Blamed took the lead into the first turn, rated kindly while being stalked by Alberobello, opened up in upper stretch and held a tough-luck Remedy at bay to earn her first graded stakes victory.

Remedy, whose legs splayed when the gates opened, causing her to break last, rallied to be second, 10 lengths ahead of Indy Union.

Split Time, Hey Niki, Stronger Than Ever, Alberobello, and War Cabinet completed the order of finish.

Not everything went perfectly for Blamed. Her undergirth came unbuckled at some point in the race, and she was fortunate that it had no impact.

“I never had that happen before,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “I don’t think she was ever in jeopardy of getting beat.”

Blamed was making her first start since being transferred to Mott. Blamed had won five consecutive races in the Southwest for trainer Joel Marr ranging in distance from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. She was being pointed to the Kentucky Oaks in May before an ankle injury shelved those plans.

Owner Cleber Massey had planned to move Blamed to Mott last summer because that’s where he wanted Blamed to run. Blamed got to the races in October, running second to Shamrock Rose in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland.

Mott chose the Comely in part because there were few graded stakes remaining in the 3-year-old filly division and he also wanted to find out how she would handle 1 1/8 miles.

According to Leparoux, Blamed handled it fine, breaking sharply, slowing the pace down and then finishing with plenty left despite the narrow margin of victory.

“She was doing it very easily the whole way,” Leparoux said. “When I asked her, she kicked very nicely for me. I think we had a little more left in the tank at the wire, which is nice.”

Blamed, a daughter of Blame, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.98 and returned $4.40 as the favorite.

Remedy, a filly who typically races on or near the lead, was last after her front legs went in different directions at the break. She was 8 1/2 lengths back after a half-mile but spilt horses and came with a solid run to finish a clear second.

“She was pretty good behind horses, handled the dirt so well in between horses, but when you stumble really bad out of the gate and lose at least two or three lengths, I think that cost me the race,” jockey Javier Castellano said.

Mott didn’t discount cutting Blamed back to seven furlongs for the Grade 1 La Brea, a race restricted to 3-year-old fillies, at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

“A horse like that could do it,” Mott said. “She’s got so much natural speed.”

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