Rattle N Roll, Idiomatic Win Graded Races at Churchill
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Photo: Coady Photography
Rattle N Roll flies home late to win the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs
Neither a 15-day turnaround nor traffic problems could deny a rallying Rattle N Roll in the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3) June 3 at Churchill Downs.
Returning quickly after a win in the May 19 Pimlico Special (G3) at Pimlico Race Course and in tight while trying to slip up the fence at the head of the lane in the 1 1/8-mile Blame, Rattle N Roll found daylight in mid-stretch and powered to a 1 1/4-length victory over Call Me Fast , who had swooped to an early stretch lead when the winner was blocked in traffic. Happy American ran third.
Favored Rattle N Roll was timed on a fast main track in 1:48.93 following splits of :23.98, :48.35, and 1:12.19 set by Barber Road , who faded to fourth. The Brian Hernandez Jr.-ridden 4-year-old paid $5.48 for a $2 win wager.
The Blame was the eighth victory in 18 starts for the St. Simon Place-bred son of Connect out of the Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune . He has now won three in a row after a defeat in his initial start of 2023. Earlier in his career as a 2-year-old, he won the 2021 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
Trainer Kenny McPeek suggested Rattle N Roll could get a break of five to six weeks after the Blame, with stablemate Smile Happy , also owned by Lucky Seven Stable, pointed toward the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), which will be run early next month at Ellis Park with the scheduled Churchill Downs spring meet shifting there beginning next week. The trainer did not rule out Rattle N Roll and Smile Happy being entered in the Stephen Foster, with one scratching.
"We just don't want to run against each other," he said.
The July 8 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Stakes (G3) at 1 1/8 miles is one option for Rattle N Roll, McPeek said.
Video: Shawnee S. (G3)
Idiomatic Uncatchable in Shawnee Stakes
About an hour before the Blame on the Churchill Downs Saturday card, Juddmonte's Idiomatic scored her first graded victory in the $224,750 Shawnee Stakes (G3) in frontrunning fashion under Florent Geroux.
The 4-year-old Curlin filly, runner-up a start earlier in the Ruffian Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, improved to 5-for-8 in taking the 1 1/16-mile dirt race. She was timed in 1:42.13 following moderate splits of :23.82, :47.87 and 1:11.81.
She paid $6.40 to win as the second favorite despite not having won previously on dirt. Her four other wins had come on a synthetic surface at Turfway Park.
Idiomatic wins the Shawnee Stakes
"I think the key today was getting back to two turns," trainer Brad Cox said after she raced in the one-turn Ruffian.
Sixtythreecaliber put in a bid around the second turn and into early stretch to challenge, but was turned away by the winner, who scored by 2 1/2 lengths. Favored Frost Point rallied for third.
Grade 1 winner Pauline's Pearl was scratched.
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Idiomatic is a homebred for Juddmonte out of the stakes-winning First Defence mare Lockdown .
Cox mentioned the $500,000 Delaware Handicap (G3), a 1 3/16-mile dirt race at Delaware Park July 8, as a potential next race if she exits the Shawnee in good condition.