BLAME’S stakes winning Epic Ride became a graded stakes winner on Saturday when he won his Kentucky Downs debut in the Mint Millions Invitational (G3).
Second in the Listed prep at Ellis Park for this start, Epic Ride took command early in the one-mile turf race and set a pressured pace. Keeping comfortably in front, the gelding was asked to speed up going into the stretch and responded well.
Race favorite Lagynos made a late run at the leader, but Epic Ride was free and clear to win by two lengths.
A runner in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) after a stakes victory and a third-place finish in the Blue Grass S. (G1), Epic Ride has proven to be a very versatile runner. The geldings other stakes placing also include a second place finish going six furlongs on the dirt in the Maryland Sprint (G3) earlier this year. The winner of $1.9 million, the 4-year-old is trained by John Ennis for Welch Racing and has 12 top three finishes in 16 starts.
A $160,000 Keeneland September yearling bred by Fred Hertrich, Epic Ride is out of a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Miss Dracarys and stakes winners and graded stakes placed Aristocratic and Up The Ante. This is also the family of dual Grade 1 winner Honey Ryder and Grade 2 winner Dominus among others.
This is the second stakes winner in a week for BLAME, who also saw son Sibayan win a French Group 2 last weekend.