Blamed On the Improve Into Comely

[Wandering Eyes]

Of all the 3-year-old fillies signed on for Friday’s GIII Comely S. at Aqueduct, Cleber Massey’s Blamed (Blame) appears to have the most formidable form lines as she goes for a maiden success at the graded level.

A debut second as Zia Park last September for trainer Joel Marr, the bay went on to get her picture taken on five consecutive occasions, including the El Paso Times S., in January, the Island Fashion S. the following month and the Sunland Park Oaks in March by over six lengths. Away nearly seven months thereafter, the Maryland-bred resurfaced in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland Oct. 20 and made the majority of the running before holding on for second. Victorious on that occasion at odds of 18-1 was Shamrock Road (First Dude), who endorsed the quality of that performance with a next-out victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Indy Union (Union Rags), a distant third in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S., couldn’t quite mix it with the likes of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) when fourth in the June 30 GII Mother Goose S. Well-beaten in a sloppy Saratoga allowance in July, the bay bounced back with a strong allowance victory at Belmont Sept. 21.

Brad Cox, who recently unsaddled his 1,000th career winner, is represented by the progressive Remedy (Creative Cause). Fifth in a grassy Indiana Grand allowance back in August, to turned things around with a powerful 5 3/4-length allowance score at that track Sept. 5 and exits a runner-up effort in the GIII Remington Park Oaks in which she led through six furlongs before yielding late.

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