Blamed tries to carry speed in Comely

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Blamed didn’t get her chance to face the best 3-year-old fillies in the Kentucky Oaks six months ago. Friday, she gets a chance to run against a modest group of 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 3, $200,000 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct.

Blamed, who won the Sunland Park Oaks in March, was sidelined with a hind ankle injury that forced her to miss the Kentucky Oaks. Trained by Joel Marr then, she was since transferred to Bill Mott by owner Cleber Massey, who had a New York summer/fall campaign in mind for the filly at the time he decided to make the move.

In her first start for Mott, Blamed finished second to Shamrock Rose in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland on Oct. 20. She was beaten 2 1/2 lengths after setting the early pace.

“We were really thrilled with the race,” Mott said. “Coming off a long layoff running in a very tough race, she showed good speed and a lot of try. She wasn’t good enough to win on that day, but coming off the long layoff, I thought it was a good race.”

The race looked even better when Shamrock Rose came back two weeks later to upset the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at odds of 25-1.

Mott hopes the Raven Run has Blamed ready to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles, a distance she has yet to attempt. The Sunland Oaks was at 1 1/16 miles.

“It seemed like when I watched the video from the Sunland Oaks she was drawing away from them,” Mott said. “She’s got a tremendous amount of speed, but she’s not a runaway.”

Julien Leparoux is in from Kentucky to ride Blamed.

Alberobello is the only member of this field to have won at 1 1/8 miles. That victory came in the slop in an allowance race at Saratoga. Alberobello finished eighth in the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks on Sept. 30.

“There was absolutely no excuse in the trip that she got,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She just seemed to run a little bit flat. Try to regroup and try again is all I know to do.”

The Comely goes as race 9 of 10 on a Friday card that begins at 11:50 a.m. Eastern and includes three other stakes.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Blamed, by Blame
Last 3 Beyers: 82-79-78

◗ Drew off to win the Sunland Park Oaks by 6 1/4 lengths in March for her fifth consecutive victory.

◗ Has two bullet works since the Raven Run.

Split Time, by Take Charge Indy
Last 3 Beyers: 81-72-75

◗ Came up a head short in a three-horse photo in the Fleet Indian going this distance.

◗ She is 3 for 4 over Aqueduct’s main track.

Indy Union, by Union Rags
Last 3 Beyers: 85-63-81

◗ Came off a two-month layoff with a solid allowance win at Belmont, a race from which the third-place finisher came back to win.

◗ Could get a pace scenario to aid her late run.