Nobody’s Fault finds perfect spot in her own backyard

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One fewer entry, and the Friday feature at Churchill Downs probably wouldn’t have existed. Luckily for Lothenbach Stables and trainer Neil Pessin, six horses were enough for a $61,800 allowance to go as the eighth of nine races.

Nobody’s Fault will carry the Lothenbach blue-and-red silks in the five-furlong turf sprint, which comes nearly four weeks after the 4-year-old homebred won the Unbridled Sidney over this turf course. Pessin crossentered the filly in the $250,000 Intercontinental, a seven-furlong turf race Thursday at Belmont Park, but she’ll be scratched in favor of this lighter spot.

“We should be the favorite here, and we probably would’ve been a longshot in New York,” said Pessin. “It just made too much sense to stay home and run in this.”

Nobody’s Fault, with leading jockey Corey Lanerie back to ride, breaks from post 2 and will look to use the same come-frombehind tactics that carried her to a runner-up finish in the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland and her Unbridled Sidney triumph.

“Hopefully, she runs the way she’s run all year,” said Pessin. “Four out of the five in this race we beat last time we ran against them. Our filly’s doing good, and we’re hoping for another strong run.”

Nobody’s Fault, a bay Kentucky-bred daughter of Blame, began her 2017 campaign with a win and a second on the Fair Grounds turf before jumping into stakes company in Kentucky.

Ruby Notion, drawn alongside Nobody’s Fault in post 1, looks like the chief threat after finishing just a neck behind her in the Giant’s Causeway. Julio Garcia has the call from trainer Wesley Ward.

The balance of the field is Boom Bam Bing, Clairenation, Melaleuca, and Super Saks. There’s quite a bit of speed signed on, which should facilitate the stretch kick of Nobody’s Fault.

First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with back-to-back starter allowances getting things started. Secret Trick and

Cheyenne Blues look like the top contenders in the opener, while Royal Blessing deserves to be favored in race 2 for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and trainer Brendan Walsh.

◗ The crowds this weekend at Churchill surely will include additional fans from next door at Jim Patterson Stadium – at least in the late afternoon – as a best-ofthree series in the NCAA Super Regional will match archrivals Kentucky and Louisville in collegiate baseball. Game time Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (if necessary) is noon.