Owendale Catches Everfast in Blame Stakes at Churchill
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Photo: Coady Photography
Owendale rallies to win the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs
A little more than a year after Everfast and Owendale ran second and third, respectively, in the Preakness Stakes (G1), the 4-year-olds had another memorable meeting, this time with Owendale victorious in the $100,000 Blame Stakes May 23 at Churchill Downs.
It was the first start of the year for Owendale and the second for Everfast following a disappointing ending to his 3-year-old season, and Owendale was a half-length ahead at the wire.
As is his custom, Owendale rated in the rear of the pack as Backyard Heaven and Diamond King took turns on the lead with fractions of :22.74, :45.63, and 1:09.88. Still ninth with a quarter-mile to run, he was urged into action by regular jockey Florent Geroux and began picking off rivals. Fourth with a furlong to go as stalkers Everfast and Silver Dust took command, Owendale found the necessary late burst to prevail.
“He ran very impressively today,” Geroux said. “This isn’t his best distance and not the end goal, but it was very exciting to see him return to the races off of a layoff like that.”
Owendale raced a mile on a fast track in 1:34.74, paying $9 for a $2 win wager.
Calumet Farm's Everfast, in his second start for trainer Jack Sisterson, ran his best race since the Preakness when Dale Romans trained him. He was a neck in front of third-place Silver Dust in the Blame.
Everfast and Owendale also met in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) last summer at Saratoga Race Course, though neither was a factor. Everfast was 12th and Owendale fifth.
Global Campaign, the 2-1 favorite in the Blame, finished sixth, and 4-1 Mr. Money was fourth.
The inaugural Blame, a prep race for the $500,000 Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) June 27 at Churchill, was the fourth stakes victory for Owendale, a son of Into Mischief . Last year he won the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3), Ohio Derby (G3), and Oklahoma Derby (G3) for owner Rupp Racing and trainer Brad Cox.
Owendale finished his 3-year-old season with a second in the Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) behind Tom's d'Etat, one of the best runners in the country and a horse pointed toward the Stephen Foster.
“It was great to see him return like that going a one-turn mile,” Cox said. “This definitely puts him in a position to try more graded stakes later on in the year at a better distance going two turns. I thought he was breezing well enough that he would return to the races sharply and ended up doing so. We’ll look (for) races like the Stephen Foster for his next start, but he will like the two turns better.”
Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Owendale is the fourth winner and first stakes winner for his dam, the unraced Bernardini mare Aspen Light. He was a $200,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by John Wentworth from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.