Rushing Fall Emerges With Jessamine Win

Another day, another talented turf filly emerging from Chad Brown's stable.

The stockpile of contenders within the Eclipse Award-winning trainer's barn threw another log on the fire Oct. 11 when Rushing Fall launched herself from the clouds to take the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland by 3 1/4 lengths, stamping herself among the potential favorites for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).

In a shedrow that produces elite performances on the regular, Rushing Fall has elbowed her way into the mix with a couple of eye-catching performances in her young career. The More Than Ready  filly came from well back to win her debut by 1 1/4 lengths going a mile over the turf at Belmont Park Sept. 16. The extra distance she was asked to travel in the 1 1/16-mile Jessamine only served to further showcase her ability.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano confidently had the bay filly rating in an outside path 12th in the 14-horse field, nearly a dozen lengths off the lead as Mentality led the group through an opening quarter-mile in :23.40 and a half-mile in :48.79. As the pacesetter held the advantage coming off the final turn, Rushing Fall still had about 10 lengths between her and the front and had to swing to the far outside to make her surge.

Once she got herself on the right lead, it was game over for her 13 challengers with Rushing Fall bounding past all, hitting the line in 1:46.20 over a course rated soft.

"No concerns at all," Castellano said of the filly's trip. "I took my time. It was a big field with a lot of speed and that combination with the soft ground, I think it made things go quick enough. I rode her with a lot of confidence because I know she's a really good filly. I think she learned few lessons, learned a lot today. 

"The way she sat off and made one run, she's very explosive. I like the way she did it."

Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the field, Rushing Fall paid $3.80, $2.80, and $2.40 across the board. Stainless, a 28-1 longshot, ran on well herself from 13th to get second, with Cash Out a head back in third. Layla Noor and Sugar Queen completed the top five.

"Extremely impressive, but I'm not surprised," Brown said of Rushing Fall. "She identified herself as special the first time we breezed her on the turf for us. We are lucky to have her."

Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding and owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Rushing Fall improved her career earnings to $135,000. She is out of the Forestry mare Autumnal and was purchased by Mike Ryan, agent, for $320,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.