To view the Fayette Stakes, click here .

by Tim Nichols

As four horses bumped and battled each other in the stretch, jockey Jamie Theriot smartly angled Blame away from the trouble and the colt responded by powering to a clear victory in the $150,000 Fayette Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Race Course.

The three-year-old Arch colt flashed an impressive turn of foot as he closed from seventh in the field of eight to secure his first graded stakes victory. Claiborne Farm’s and Adele Dilschneider’s homebred covered 1 1/8 miles on the synthetic Polytrack surface in 1:50.54 to win by 1¼ lengths.

“I had the perfect trip,” Theriot said. “He was nice early—kind and relaxed. He’s a push-button horse. Every time I call on him, he’s there for me.”

Blame raced in seventh as Tizfiz and Wicked Style led the field through a half-mile in :48.86. Wicked Style, winner of the 2007 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1), took the lead on the far turn but was quickly challenged by multiple graded stakes winner Parading.

Looking to for his third win of the year, Parading seized the lead in early stretch. Wicked Style refused to yield, however, as Public Speaker and Dominican joined the battle.

As that quartet jostled for lead, Theriot maneuvered his ride five wide and Blame powered past the cluster of opponents for the win. Parading held on for second, a half-length in front of Wicked Style.

Blame, who entered off a second-place finish to Regal Ransom in the Super Derby (G2) on September 19 at Louisiana Downs, improved to four wins from seven careers with earnings of $356,875 following his Fayette triumph.

A half brother to stakes winner Tend, Blame is out of the stakes-placed Seeking the Gold mare Liable. From the family of champion and leading sire Nureyev, Blame’s second dam is stakes winner Bound, who produced Group 1 winner Archipenko.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times