Blamed trying to make amends in Royal Delta

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Until she raced over a sloppy track, Blamed had never finished worse than second in her career. Track condition aside, it’s difficult to find an excuse for that last start, as she had everything her own way before giving way readily in the final quarter-mile of the Hurricane Bertie on Pegasus Day at Gulfstream Park.

Three weeks later, Blamed will be back in action at Gulfstream – and with mostly sunny skies and a fast track in the forecast, there should be absolutely no excuses this time. The bay Maryland-bred will have the red-hot Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard when she breaks from the outside post in a field of seven fillies and mares in the Grade 3, $150,000 Royal Delta, a one-mile race in which she figures to vie for favoritism with Tequilita.

Before the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie, Blamed had six wins and two seconds from eight starts, the first six of which having come at Zia Park or Sunland Park for trainer Joel Marr. A hairline fracture precluded her from running in the Kentucky Oaks, and Blamed was transferred last summer into the care of Bill Mott. Blamed then returned to action in the fall, finishing second in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland and winning the Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct prior to the Hurricane Bertie clunker.

On the other end of the starting gate in post 1, Tequilita enters here on a high note, having run one of her best races in winning the Grade 3 Rampart here in mid-December. Michael Matz, who trains Tequilita for his wife, Dorothy, said the 5-year-old mare will be bred this spring to Street Sense, so it’s likely she’ll have only two more races – the Royal Delta and the March 16 Inside Information.

“She really likes Gulfstream, so we’ve had this planned for a while,” said Matz.

John Velazquez will ride Tequilita.

Among the others, Another Broad (post 3, Javier Castellano) should draw the most interest as she makes her first start since being purchased by Madaket Stables and partners and turned over to Todd Pletcher. The rest of the lineup is Weekend Mischief, Tulsa Queen, Jala Jala, and Silver Bay, who is cross-entered Saturday in the Minaret at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Royal Delta is the 11th of 12 races on a Saturday card that starts at noon Eastern and is part of a Rainbow 6 sequence that spans races 7-12. Into Thursday, the jackpot stood at $58,824.

◗ Racing will be held here Monday because of the Presidents Day holiday, leaving Tuesday as the only dark day in a 12-day span from Feb. 13-24.