Flashback: Blame runs down Quality Road in the Whitney

When Al Stall Jr. tightens the girth on Tom’s d’Etat in next week’s Grade 1 Whitney, in what figures to be one of the races of the year, the New Orleans native should have very good memories of the event from one decade earlier.

It was 10 years ago when Stall’s best horse, Blame, came through at Saratoga with a sparkling and memorable performance. In what was his biggest win at the time, the Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider homebred ran down the heavily favored Quality Road in a sensational edition of the Whitney.

The stars that lined up for the 2010 edition of Saratoga’s most prized event for older horses included the ultra-consistent, multiple-graded-stakes-winning Musket Man; the previous year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird; and the top New York-bred, Haynesfield. As good as that group was, though, make no mistake, this Whitney was all about the top two older males in the land.

Quality Road, trained by Todd Pletcher, was a deserving favorite. The son of Elusive Quality was a brilliant runner who was coming off a sharp victory over Musket Man in the Met Mile at Belmont Park. Blessed with a high cruising speed, the Virginia homebred of Edward P. Evans was 3 for 3 so far as an older horse. Before his Met Mile victory, he had scored a tour-de-force win in the Donn Handicap (G1) at Gulfstream Park, winning by more than a dozen lengths while breaking the track record.

Meanwhile, the Whitney’s second choice neither had the speed of Quality Road nor did he make the same kind of early splash that the favorite had made early in his 3-year-old season. Blame was brought along patiently by Stall and bloomed late in his sophomore season, winning both Keeneland’s Fayette Stakes (G2) and the Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs to finish off 2009.

With less fanfare than Quality Road, the son of Arch came to the Whitney on a four-race winning streak. Most recently, he had added his first Grade 1 tally when he rallied strongly under the twin spires of Churchill Downs to win the Stephen Foster (G1). Undefeated in two starts at 4, Blame was ready for his toughest test to date in the form of Quality Road and the Whitney.

Despite both top 4-year-olds coming in with identical 7-of-10 lifetime records, the New York-based Quality Road was made a heavy 1-2 favorite in the Whitney. The Kentucky invader was let go at generous odds of nearly 7-2. The disparity in odds would not play out in the race, though, and the Saratoga crowd of more than 36,000 was in store for a classic.

As expected, the big favorite commanded the early lead under regular rider Johnny Velazquez, but with neither Musket Man nor Haynesfield willing to fully push Quality Road, he was able to jog through an opening quarter in 24.41 seconds. It got a little quicker from there, getting a half-mile in 48.06 and six furlongs in 1:11.92.

Blame, who had been much closer to the tepid pace than expected, was in fourth early, keeping close eye on the leaders under Garrett Gomez.

As Quality Road kept a hard-trying Musket Man at bay to his outside, and with Haynesfield not doing enough on the inside, Gomez swung his charge to the far outside for clear sailing. Even then it looked like his late run would do no better than second. The favorite still had plenty left, but suddenly Blame found another gear.

Under a vigorous hand ride from Gomez, Blame surged late and nailed Quality Road just before the wire. The photo confirmed what was seen with the naked eye: Stall’s emerging star had beaten New York’s favorite by a head.

Musket Man, as usual, had run a very good race to be third, while Haynesfield and Mine That Bird were well behind in fourth and fifth. The final time of 1:48.88 was more than solid over the Saratoga strip and considering the moderate early pace.

For the top two, the thrilling edition of the Whitney proved to be a changing of the guard. Quality Road was an absolutely brilliant runner who came back to win the Woodward (G1) four weeks later, but he was now only the second best older male in the country.

With his late surge, Blame had pushed Quality Road off the top of the hill. Two starts later, he earned a championship with another thriller, this time defeating the previously unbeaten super mare Zenyatta in an unforgettable edition of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Now, 10 years removed from a Whitney classic, trainer Stall is taking a nearly identical path with his 7-year-old star Tom’s d’Etat, hoping for a very similar and familiar result.