It was a stakes exacta for BLAME in Saturday’s Listed Japan Turf Cup when Armando R beat Beacon Hill by a neck at Laurel Park.
Both BLAME runners were in the back of the field early on with Armando R the clear back marker when over 17 lengths behind the pace setter and five lengths behind second-to-last Beacon Hill. Content to trail in the 1 ¼ mile dirt race, Armando R didn’t show any desire speed up until they worked their way toward the final quarter and he started picking off horses.
Coming wide into the stretch, his target soon became Beacon Hill and he nabbed that one close to the line with Beacon Hill grudgingly giving him the lead late.
It was a sixth career victory and first stakes victory for the Damon Dilodovico-trained Armando R, who went over $250,000 in earnings with the victory.
Armando R is out of the three-time stakes placed Alpaca Fina, whose juvenile daughter C C Cruise Control earned a stakes placing last month in the Listed Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs in her fourth start. The mare also produced the stakes placed Fifthatnarraganset as well.
BLAME is now the sire of 42 stakes winners and 77 stakes performers, led by five Grade 1 winners.