Rattle N Roll Finds Room And Shakes To Earn G3 Blame

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Piloted by Brian Hernandez Jr., Rattle N Roll is aptly named in The Blame (JennyPhoto/Past The Wire)

Churchill Downs press release

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky. Rattle N Roll, which ran off the inside post into a field of eight older horses, was bottled up along the inside rail for most of Saturday’s fourth run of the $225,000 Blame Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs but the 4-year-old colt found room to run with three-sixteenths of a mile to the finish and raced on Call Me Fast to win by 1 length on his way to a third straight graduated stakes victory. Happy American was still three quarters in length in third place.

Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the winner for trainer Kenny McPeek and owner Michael J. Mackins Lucky Seven Stable. Rattle N Roll covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.93 on a fast track.

Just two weeks ago, Rattle N Roll won the $250,000 Pimlico Special (GIII) by a nose on Black-Eyed Susan Day. Before that, he won the $300,000 Ben Ali (GIII) at Keeneland by 1 length.

Barber Road, who finished sixth last year in the Kentucky Derby (GI), was a surprise leader early on setting fractions of :23.98, :48.35 and 1:12.19 with the winner of the grade I turf, Santin, applying light pressure on his clay-court debut.

Rattle N Roll placed third on the backstretch in tight quarters along the inside. He was full of racing around the final corner but got stuck behind the leader Barber Road, who held his line while running on the rail. As the field exited the bend and reached the top of the stretch, Barber Road swerved slightly leaving a small inside opening for Rattle N Roll, who made contact with the rail as they slid down. Once clear, Rattle N Roll proved to be by far the best as an 8-5 favorite.

There are two starts at Keeneland (Call Me Fast) closed late and we were able to hold it off, Hernandez said. Today he had the first run on us, but once I tipped my horse on the eighth bar he reacted really well and finished strong. This victory is a credit to Kenny and his team. This horse still seems to show up and run well and is back to fast rest today. But, Kenny and his team had him ready to go.

The favorites won five of six stakes races at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Rattle N Roll brought in $5.48, $3.18, and $2.66. Call Me Fast, ridden by Julien Leparoux at 9-2, paid $4.44 and $4.12. Happy American, 14-1 under James Graham, paid $5.48 to show up.

After Happy American, there are Barber Road, Santin, Pioneer of Media, Cooke Creek and Masqueparade.

The victory was worth $135,280 and increased Rattle N Rolls’ bankroll to $1,501,141 with an 8-1-2 record in 18 starts.

I think this horse benefited at the end of last year and through this year running in Grade II and Grade III, McPeek said. It taught him to mature. Brian had this horse loaded to the rail and he was a little tight halfway through, but it was an honor for him and the horse to have been patient and had room to close. Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll are both owned by the Mackin family and it’s a good deal to have to go with two really big caliber horses for classic races.

Rattle N Roll is a Kentucky bred son of Connect and Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune. He was raised by St. Simon Place.

The Blame is named after the 2010 Eclipse Prize-winning older horse who handed Zenyatta his only defeat that year Breeders Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs.

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