Rushing Fall Shines on Opening Day at Belmont Park
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Rushing Fall wins the Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park
When Bob Edwards read the forward to a book about the undefeated champion Frankel, it reminded him of someone near and dear to his heart.
"It's written from the horse's point of view," said Edwards, whose family races under the banner of e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. "It tells how Frankel came into the paddock, looked around, and checked out his competition, knowing he's going to win the race. It's the mindset of a great athlete."
Edwards was reminded of those words June 3 when he watched his star turf mare Rushing Fall shine brightest of all when Belmont Park opened without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic and horse racing resumed in New York for the first time since March 15.
Rushing Fall took the lead at the start and never looked back, recording a two-length victory in the $97,000 Beaugay Stakes (G3T), which served as her first start since October.
"Every time I see Rushing Fall run, I think of that book about Frankel," Edwards said. "She has the mind of a champion. She's gifted, but she has determination, too. She's an unbelievable mare."
The victory over four fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay, in which she defeated multiple grade 1 winner Got Stormy, not only ended an eight-month layoff for the 5-year-old, it erased memories of the only weak effort in the daughter of More Than Ready 's 12-race career. Exhausted at the end of her 4-year-old campaign, which started with grade 1 wins in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) and the Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T), Rushing Fall finished fourth in the First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T), her final start in 2019.
It was a surprising performance that opened eyes because in Rushing Fall's 10 previous starts, she had eight wins and two seconds. Afterward, Edwards received some prodding to retire her and sell her as a broodmare prospect.
He didn't because he was having too much fun racing her, and after some initial jitters Wednesday, Edwards' level of enjoyment increased significantly when Rushing Fall and jockey Javier Castellano cruised under the wire in frontrunning fashion.
"We were on pins and needles. Got Stormy is a formidable foe. Then on the turn, Javier hit the gas and she peeled away," Edwards said. "I was glad to see him gear her down and let her coast out and save something in the tank. She's matured really well."
Now, the main item for Edwards and trainer Chad Brown to discuss is which grade 1 stakes Rushing Fall will try to win in back-to-back years. It will either be the mile Just a Game at Belmont Park June 27 or the 1 1/16-mile Jenny Wiley July 11 at Keeneland. Edwards said he'll huddle with Brown in a few days, and he's likely to hear some highly positive remarks from the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer.
"I'm so happy for Bob Edwards and his family. She came back better than ever," Brown said about a mare who has now opened her 3-, 4- and 5-year-old campaigns with graded stakes wins.
The Beaugay promised to be a lively duel between Rushing Fall ($3.70), a four-time grade 1 winner and $2 million earner, and Gary Barber's Got Stormy, a two-time grade 1 winner who was second in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).
The duel quickly took shape. From the rail, Rushing Fall and Castellano took the lead and held a one-length advantage on Got Stormy through fractions of :24.59 and :47.95. Got Stormy, who bobbled at the start, continued to press Rushing Fall until the top of the stretch when the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner effortlessly pulled away and opened a 2 1/2-length lead in midstretch.
"She's back," Castellano said about the daughter of the Forestry mare Autumnal. "She's one of the best horses in the country. I think we are going to have a lot of fun with her this year."
Weakened from chasing the 4-5 favorite and running at a distance a tad beyond her preferred one-mile distance, Got Stormy, the 8-5 second choice, faded to fourth in the field of five. She is winless in three 2020 starts for trainer Mark Casse.
As Rushing Fall crossed the finish line in 1:40.71 on firm turf, R Unicorn Stable's Call Me Love rallied for second in her United States debut.
A daughter of Sea The Stars trained by Christophe Clement, Call Me Love was 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable's Passing Out, an Orb filly trained by Shug McGaughey.
With nine wins in 12 starts, Rushing Fall increased her earnings to $2,068,000. She was purchased on Edwards' behalf by agent Mike Ryan for $320,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York, in 2016.
Castellano has been aboard for all 12 of those starts, and Wednesday's victory helped him put aside a difficult winter in which he was diagnosed with coronavirus and quarantined for two weeks.
"I'm so happy to be here," said the Hall of Fame rider, who had just two wins in 29 starts at the current Churchill Downs meet. "I've been through a rough time. I'm healthy. I had coronavirus but did not have symptoms, and I feel great. I've been tested everywhere I go and I'm fine."
Just like Rushing Fall, who keeps passing one test after another.
Record Handle Set
Even without fans in attendance, all-sources wagering was a record $10,972,254, breaking the mark of $10.7 million for the first day of the 2010 spring/summer meet.
"We are proud to be able to usher in the return of professional sports to New York," New York Racing Association president and CEO Dave O'Rourke said. "I would like to thank racing fans for tuning in and supporting live racing. Opening day brought us a number of exciting moments, and we look forward to many more great days of racing ahead."