Rushing Fall Better Than Ever in Jenny Wiley Stakes
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Rushing Fall wins the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland
Rushing Fall returned with a sparkling performance April 13 in the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, showing no signs of rust after time on the shelf.
The 4-year-old More Than Ready filly ran for the first time since her victory in Keeneland's Oct. 13 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane's End (G1T) and scored her fourth stakes win at the Lexington track, where she has never been defeated.
Regular rider Javier Castellano was in the irons for trainer Chad Brown on the e Five Racing Thoroughbreds runner, who set the pace and held by a length over stablemate Rymska.
Making her first start against older runners, Rushing Fall was sent to the lead and showed seven rivals through fractions of :23.81, :48.41, and 1:13.62 while owning a daylight advantage.
Approaching the stretch as the field began to close in, the fleet-footed bay kicked clear again, with the only threat coming from Rymska, who dove to the rail for a late rally. It was a half-length to Got Stormy, who completed the trifecta.
"She's come off of 90-plus-day layoffs and won phenomenal stakes races, but to come out after a long break, the next year older in a grade 1, and being tested by really good horses was phenomenal," said Bob Edwards of e Five. "She's multidimensional. I love to see that, kind of reminiscent of Ghostzapper, changing up her game a little bit. Not to say she's in that league at this point, but reminiscent of classic horses changing their game as they get older and being more mature and being able to change their running style."
Sent off as the 9-10 favorite, Rushing Fall returned $3.80 on a $2 ticket and ran 1 1/16 miles over the firm Keeneland turf in 1:42.77. The Jenny Wiley victory was worth $210,000 and increased her earnings to $1,518,000, with seven wins and a second from eight starts.
"I give all the credit to Mr. Brown, the way he's been training this horse since the layoff," Castellano said. "This filly, she's so nice—the way she broke out of the gate, the way she relaxed. I just enjoyed the ride. She (got) tired, but just a little bit. But she finished strong and did it very easy."
The Jenny Wiley victory was the third in the race for both Brown and Castellano. Brown won with Ball Dancing in 2015 and Sistercharlie last year, when Brown trainees secured a 1-2-3 finish. Castellano, who won the race on Ball Dancing and Hard Not to Like in 2014, earned his sixth stakes victory of the spring meet.
Rushing Fall's other Keeneland victories came in the 2017 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G3T) and last spring's Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T). The four stakes wins tie her with Take Charge Lady for second-most at Keeneland, behind only Wise Dan's seven stakes victories.
"She definitely loves the (Keeneland turf) course," Brown said. "Big team effort. Just a great day. So many people that played a part in her development are here today."
Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding out of the Forestry mare Autumnal, Rushing Fall was a $320,000 purchase in 2016 by agent Mike Ryan from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select sale of yearlings in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Autumnal produced a Candy Ride half sister in 2016 but has been reported barren or having aborted since then.