Blamed Leads Gate-To-Wire in Comely

[Wandering Eyes]

Looking to remain perfect at a route of ground, BLAMED (f, 3, Blame-Salsa Star, by Giant’s Causeway) was rated along nicely by Julien Leparoux, had a nice kick in upper stretch and held off a late bid from an unlucky Remedy (Creative Cause) for a three-quarter length victory in Friday’s GIII Comely S. at Aqueduct. Trained in New Mexico by Joel Marr through the first half-dozen starts of her career, the bay aired by better than six lengths in the Island Fashion S. over a flat mile in February and in the Mar. 25 Sunland Park Oaks the following month. Forced to miss the GI Kentucky Oaks with a fractured right hind pastern, she resurfaced in the Bill Mott barn and made a good deal of the running in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland Oct. 20 only to be run down late by subsequent GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Shamrock Rose (First Dude). Sent off the 6-5 chalk while stretching back out to two turns, Blamed was allowed a fairly soft time of it on the engine, getting the opening half-mile in a comfortable :49.01 and six panels in 1:13 and some change. Shaken up at the top of the stretch, she opened daylight on her rivals and was home narrowly in front. Remedy bobbled at the break from the widest gate and lingered towards the back of the field early on. She began to improve her position, made eye-catching progress on the turn and was able to sustain a three-furlong run that nearly carried her to victory. Indy Union (Union Rags) was third. A $77,000 Keeneland September buyback, Blamed is the 11th group/graded winner for her sire and is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to MGSW sprinter Pacific Ocean (Ghostzapper). O-Cleber Massey; B-Sagamore Farm (MD); T-Bill Mott.

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