Exotics plays for Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs June 4

The $200,000 Blame S. for four-year-olds and up features a field of eight in the penultimate race on Churchill Downs’ Saturday card.

Below we give you our full field analysis and best exotics plays for Race 10, including exacta, trifecta, and superfecta tickets for the 1 1/8-mile test on Churchill Downs’ dirt track.

#1 Proxy (9-2): The four-year-old last came home third by three lengths to rival Scalding in the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland and was beaten 1 3/4 lengths by second-place finisher Dynamic One, who also re-opposes here. The Tapit colt flashed a career-best 103 Brisnet Speed rating, with a 101 Late Pace, two back in the New Orleans Classic (G2) when beaten by two lengths to next-out Alysheba (G2) winner Olympiad.

Proxy has won or placed in all three starts in 2022 and will get a rider change with Luis Saez, a 23% winner this meet.

#2 Super Stock (12-1): The 2021 Kentucky Derby also-ran has yet to crack the trifecta in three starts this season. The Steve Asmussen pupil finished fourth last out in the Oaklawn H. (G2) and last won in the Zia Park Derby five starts back in November.

#3 Title Ready (8-1): The seven-year-old will make his second straight start on Churchill’s dirt after placing third in the Alysheba on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. The Dallas Stewart trainee has the late speed to vie for the minor awards in Saturday’s race with rider John Velazquez staying in the silks.  

#4 Militarist (20-1): The gray five-year-old placed for the first time in three starts at Churchill Downs in an optional claimer on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 7. His 96 Speed figure at 1 1/16 miles is a career best for the Carlo Vaccarezza trainee but the third-lowest last race speed rating among the field.

#5 Dynamic One (9-2): Beaten by Scalding twice in his last two starts, Dynamic One will attempt to bounce back in his third start off a layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher. Hot jockey Tyler Gaffalione (18% winner this meet) will pick up the mount for the Union Rags son who finished 18th in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, his only previous start at Churchill.

#6 Scalding (5-2): The Nyquist son is 4-for-4 in 2022, including a pair of Grade 3 stakes races, for trainer Shug McGaughey. The four-year-old will stay with regular rider Javier Castellano, a 20% winner when paired up with McGaughey over the last two months.

#7 Santos Dumont (20-1): The five-year-old gelding was beaten for the first time in three starts this season in an optional claimer at Oaklawn Park last out on May 1. He’ll get his second start at Churchill Downs, where he last placed fifth in a one-mile allowance in November 2020. Mitchell Murrill, a 10% winner this meet, is named to ride.

#8 Americanrevolution (8-5): The morning line favorite won five of his last six starts with Luis Saez but makes a rider switch with hot jockey Florent Geroux (21% winner at Churchill) in his four-year-old debut. The Constitution colt last hit a 106 BRIS figure in the Cigar Mile H. (G1) at Aqueduct in December.

The Pletcher pupil has two wins and a third at today’s distance but has never raced at Churchill, where Pletcher is just 2-for-27 to start the meet.

Blame S. wagers

• $5 exacta: 6 with 1, 8 ($10)
• $2 trifecta: 6, 8 with 1, 6, 8 with 1, 5, 8 ($14)
• $1 superfecta: 6, 8 with 1, 6, 8 with 1, 5, 8 with 1, 2, 3, 5 ($19)