With the Stephen Foster (G1) at Churchill Downs a little more than a month away on July 1, the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3) at the Louisville, Ky., track June 3 should provide an early glimpse of some of its potential participants.
Among the eight horses entered in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile dirt race that serves as the final local prep for the Stephen Foster are graded stakes winners Rattle N Roll, Masqueparade, Santin, Happy American, and Pioneer of Medina. The three remaining horses—Barber Road, Call Me Fast, and Cooke Creek—are graded-placed.
Rattle N Roll and Santin have notched grade 1 victories. The former won the 2021 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, while the latter captured both the Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) and Arlington Million Stakes (G1T) last year at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Brendan Walsh has yet to race Godolphin's homebred 5-year-old son of Distorted Humor on dirt in 12 starts, leaving him as the Blame wild card.
Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll faces no such surface-handling uncertainty, having earned all seven of his victories on dirt for trainer Kenny McPeek, including two at Churchill Downs. He returns on short rest after a hard race in winning the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) by a nose May 19.
Video: Pimlico Special S. Presented by Bulleit Bourbon (G3)
With his stablemate Smile Happy awaiting the Stephen Foster, Rattle N Roll makes his fourth start of 2023, which began with a fourth-place finish in the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) March 25 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Following that race and preceding the Pimlico Special, he won the April 22 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, defeating Call Me Fast, Happy American, and Pioneer of Medina, none of whom have raced since.
Brian Hernandez Jr. is reunited with the rail-drawn 4-year-old son of Connect after Flavien Prat was aboard in the Pimlico Special. Tyler Gaffalione rides Santin.
Only a modest amount of speed is entered, a potential disadvantage for an off-the-pace runner in Rattle N Roll. Masqueparade, Call Me Fast, and Pioneer of Medina appear those most likely to be on or near the pace.
A couple of races before the Blame is the $225,000 Shawnee Stakes (G3), which serves as a launching pad for the $400,000 Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill on Stephen Foster Day.
It also drew numerous graded stakes winners among its eight-horse lineup, including Stonestreet Stable's Pauline's Pearl, who captured the 2022 La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs six starts ago. This year she won her seasonal bow in the Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) before going unplaced in the March 11 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park and when re-appearing in the May 5 La Troienne for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
Gaffalione has the mount.
Coming off sharper recent performances in lesser company are Juddmonte's Idiomatic, second in the Ruffian Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park May 6 for trainer Brad Cox, and Frost Point and Hidden Connection, 1-2 in the Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland April 21.
Frost Point is owned by her breeder, Godolphin, and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, while Bret Calhoun trains Hidden Connection for Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 3, 2023, Race 10Entries: Blame S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Rattle N Roll (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 120 Kenneth G. McPeek 2/1 2 2Masqueparade (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 5/1 3 3Barber Road (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 118 John Alexander Ortiz 6/1 4 4Call Me Fast (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Michael Puhich 6/1 5 5Santin (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Brendan P. Walsh 8/1 6 6Happy American (KY) James Graham 120 Neil L. Pessin 8/1 7 7Pioneer of Medina (KY) Luis Saez 120 Todd A. Pletcher 4/1 8 8Cooke Creek (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Jeremiah O'Dwyer 12/1
Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 3, 2023, Race 8Entries: Shawnee S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Soul of an Angel (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Gerald James 20/1 2 2Travel Column (KY) Cristian A. Torres 118 Paulo H. Lobo 15/1 3 3Pauline's Pearl (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Steven M. Asmussen 5/2 4 4Idiomatic (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Brad H. Cox 5/1 5 5Sixtythreecaliber (KY) Edgar Morales 118 Thomas M. Amoss 6/1 6 6Frost Point (KY) Junior Alvarado 120 William I. Mott 2/1 7 7Hidden Connection (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 118 W. Bret Calhoun 9/2 8 8Moon Swag (KY) Luis Saez 118 Brendan P. Walsh 12/1
