It was a second straight stakes victory for BLAME’s Armando R at Laurel Park on Saturday with a victory in the Listed Richard W. Small Stakes.
Looking for his fourth win of the year, Armando R raced nearly 10 lengths off the leader in the first quarter of the 1 1/8 mile dirt race before steadily closing the distance once asked to pick up the pace as they crossed the half mile pole. He didn’t make like easy on jockey Joracio Karamanos until they hit the stretch and he was ready to chase down the leaders.
He still had plenty to do with a sixteenth left to run but Armando R dug in to get the lead in the shadow of the wire and win by half a length.
It’s the seventh career win for the gelding, who has earnings of $318,120 and 16 top three finishes in 24 career starts for owner Ronald Cuneo and trainer Damon Dilodovico.
Armando R is out of the three-time stakes placed Alpaca Fina, whose juvenile daughter C C Cruise Control added more blacktype to the family earlier this year in the Listed Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs in her fourth start. Alpaca Fina also produced the stakes placed Fifthatnarraganset as well.
BLAME is the six of six stakes winners and 12 stakes performers in 2022 with his daughters giving him an addition eight stakes winners and 11 stakes performers, led by Grade 1 winning Forte, as a broodmare sire.