Blame Angel wins third straight in taking allowance feature;

Blame Angel jumped up in class from a $20,000 claiming race to allowance company, rallying from last to capture Ellis Park’s $39,000 allowance feature Sunday by three-quarters of a length over Hush Up.

The 4-year-old colt, a son of the Claiborne Farm stallion Blame, now is 2 for 2 at Ellis — accomplishments made more poignant since his July 22 victory came one day after the death of trainer Tom R. McCarthy, who claimed Blame Angel out of a $30,000 maiden-claiming race 1 1/2  years ago. He’s now trained by McCarthy’s son Tom S., and is owned by another son, Tim McCarthy in partnership with Gilbert Nutt, all of Louisville.

Jockey Miguel Mena gave Blame Angel a masterful ride, being three lengths off the lead with an eighth-mile to go and swooping up the rail to prevail while covering a mile on turf in 1:37.38. He paid $7.40 to win as the co-second choice with Hush Up, while slight-favorite Shut the Box was another nose back in third in the field of eight.

Tom S. summed up the race in one word: “Awesome.”

“He’s just a special horse, Blame Angel,” Mena said. “Unfortunately Mr. McCarthy passed away. Tom McCarthy did a great job with him when he claimed him. Since Mr. Tom passed away, he’s gotten unbelievably good. Like the last race, he won nice. Today he jumped up in class in an allowance race, and he won easy. He was rolling down the lane. He wasn’t going to get beat.”

Blame Angel now has won three straight. The steak started in a $16,000 claiming race at Churchill Downs, the colt prevailing at 17-1 on Father’s Day in what proved the final starters as a trainer for Tom R. McCarthy, who was hospitalized at the time. Overall, he’s won six of 13 starts for the McCarthy family.

Tom R. McCarthy — a retired biology teacher and high-school principal who long had trained a horse or two on the side, was the feel-good story heading into the 2009 Kentucky Derby. He had no horses when he claimed General Quarters for $20,000 the first time the gray colt ran. General Quarters sent on to win Keeneland’s Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass in 2009 and the next year the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic in his grass debut.

2-year-old watch: Derecho Warrior wins first time on grass

Samuel F. Henderson’s Derecho Warrior made his first and second career starts over the Ellis dirt, finishing fifth and a well-beaten third. But put on the grass, the 2-year-old gelding split horses while rallying from sixth to get past front-running Horse Fly in the final strides for the neck score. The son of Warrior’s Reward covered the mile in 1:39.53. He paid $7.20 to win as the favorite.

“From his first race to his last race, he woke up quite a bit,” said jockey Joe Rocco Jr., aboard the Donnie K. Von Hemel-trained Derecho Warrior for all three races. “Really, the turf was all I was worried about, because that was all that was new to him. The distance wouldn’t be a problem. It seemed each race he was getting a little better and a little better. I was just concerned because it took him a little bit to get into it. I asked him leaving the gate, and he didn’t give me the position I wanted really. We were a bit too far back, and they were going slow. But he was able to overcome it. He ran very well.”

Second-choice Horse Fly came very close to giving three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel his first victory since returning from what proved a five-month retirement. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to Superstyle.

“Once I got through and turning for home, I knew I was the winner — unless his horse had another gear that I didn’t see in front of me,” Rocco said. “But as far as running at him, I was pretty confident we were going to get him.”

Monday’s Labor Day card is the tradition Ellis finale. First post is 12:50 p.m. Central.

With 26 victories, Corey Lanerie has a five-win cushion over Mena, Brian Hernandez and James Graham. Because Lanerie, Mena and Hernandez are out of town riding stakes Monday, Graham is the only jockey with a mathematical chance at the title. He has seven mounts.

New Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen has clinched the trainer’s title with a 15-11 edge over Ian Wilkes. Chester Thomas’ Allied Racing Stable has secured the owner’s title with six victories, three more than Whitham Thoroughbreds and Zayat Stables.

For more information, contact Jennie Rees, Ellis Park publicity, at tracksidejennie@gmail.com.