Blame Takes the Whitney
It most certainly looks like winning fillies such as Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta will have extremely difficult competition in the future, as a magnificent performance during the running of the Whitney Handicap Invitational saw to it that Blame secured his place in the winners circle. Even though Quality Road was chosen as the favorite for the 2010 edition of this prestigious event, Blame came through with more determination and speed than anyone expected him to. Quality Road was believed to be one of the fastest horses in the world, now it seems to be a title that should go to Blame instead.
Blame is owned by Adele Dilschneider and Clairbourne Farm, and of his eleven career starts, he had won eight. With Al Stall Jr. as his trainer, he has now managed to earn $1.5 million for his owners and seems to have found his feet towards a long and successful racing career. Garrett Gomez was teamed up with Blame for the 2010 Whitney Handicap Invitational at Saratoga Racecourse, and his patient strategy paid off in the end. For a few nervous moments it did seem as if Quality Road had the upper hand over the race, but Blame had not used his reserves yet, and as they started moving into the stretch, the race began to change rapidly. Todd Pletcher, trainer of Quality Road, could only stand and watch as Blame began to gain momentum and chase down his horse, with John Velazquez on board.
Velazques took a quick look over his shoulder, and could see Blame bearing down on them at high speed. There was no strategy that could stop Blame from passing Quality Road, as Garrett Gomez rode his mount confidently into the leading position. In fact, Gomez did not even need to hit or encourage Blame once, as it seemed that Blame was running his own race and knew what was expected of him. As an older horse, Blame is able to use his experience and his unmatched speed to his advantage, and standing in the winners’ circle, it looked asif he had run his race effortlessly. Gomez is extremely excited and optimistic about the future of Blame, and mentioned that he dreams of riding this talented equine athlete in an event such as the Breeder’s Cup. With the breathtaking performance he gave spectators at the Whitney Handicap Invitational, his abilities and achievements will never be overlooked again.
