Escape Clause wins Harry Henson; All Out Blitz takes Bill Thomas

Rebounding from recent losses in graded stakes in Arkansas and California, All Out Blitz and Escape Clause won $100,000 races for older horses on the undercard of the Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico on Sunday. Tyler Baze was aboard both winners.

Escape Clause ($3.20) won the Harry Henson Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile in 1:34, breaking the track record. Escape Clause earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

Baze had Escape Clause behind pacesetter Baydar for the first six furlongs before taking the lead in early stretch. Escape Clause pulled clear to win by 7 1/4 lengths and was not urged in the final sixteenth after Baze peeked behind him to gauge the competition.

Baydar, an 11-1 chance, held second, finishing 4 3/4 lengths in front of 13-1 Performance Review in the field of seven.

Escape Clause, a 5-year-old mare bred in Manitoba, races for owner and trainer Don Schnell. In January, Escape Clause won the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita, her first victory in a graded stakes. She was fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes on Feb. 16.

Escape Clause, by the Unbridled’s Song stallion Going Commando, has won a remarkable 20 of 30 starts and earned $495,500.

All Out Blitz won his first stakes in his 14th start in the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. Baze had All Out Blitz in a stalking position on the backstretch and reached contention in early stretch. All Out Blitz needed most of the stretch before taking the lead in the final sixteenth.

The second choice in a field of nine, All Out Blitz ($7.20) was timed in 1:14.92 and finished a half-length in front of stretch leader Minister of Soul, an 8-1 chance. Anyportinastorm finished third, beaten a half-length and a head.

Chief Cicatriz, the 9-5 favorite, finished fifth, beaten four lengths, after racing in traffic in the stretch.

All Our Blitz earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93, which equaled the best of his career.

All Out Blitz, a 4-year-old colt by Concord Point, is owned by breeder Kaleem Shah and trained by Simon Callaghan. A winner of 4 of 14 starts who has earned $251,030, All Out Blitz was fifth in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park in February.

This was the third trip to New Mexico in the last year for All Out Blitz, who is based with Callaghan in California. All Out Blitz was eighth in the 2018 Sunland Park Derby and fourth in the Zia Park Derby last November.