Rushing Fall Dominates Just a Game
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Photo: Rick Samuels
Rushing Fall comes home strong to take the Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park
There was a moment, turning for home, when Rushing Fall could have conceded the $671,000 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) June 8 at Belmont Park.
After showing the way throughout in the one-mile turf test for fillies and mares 4 years old and up, the More Than Ready filly had rival Daddy Is a Legend breathing down her neck on the outside, looking ready to make it a battle down the lane.
But jockey Javier Castellano had only to give his mount the signal, and Rushing Fall found a second wind. After setting opening fractions of :23.91, :47.21, and 1:09.21, the Chad Brown trainee drew off to a 2 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:31.67, just off the stakes record of 1:31.64 set by Celestine in 2016.
Late-closing Beau Recall was second, and Daddy Is a Legend held for third.
It was Rushing Fall's fourth grade 1 win for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and her eighth win from nine starts.
"Brilliant performance, probably her best to date," said Brown. "She's nearly unbeaten. One of the greatest turf mares I've trained, for sure. She's earned that. When Daddy is a Legend tackled her on the turn, I was concerned there for a moment because I knew it would be a real battle. I have a lot of respect for that horse. Thankfully, Rushing Fall showed her best stuff today and was able to fend her off and kick clear. I don't use the word 'brilliant' too often, but it was a real brilliant performance.
"I want to speak to (owner) Bob Edwards, but I feel the logical thing to do is get her back to 1 1/8 miles in the Diana (Stakes, G1T, July 13 at Saratoga Race Course)."
"She's a super-fast horse," Castellano said. "She broke out of the gate, but she was able to settle down in the beginning. It's amazing the way she finished. She finished really well and they tried to challenge her, but she's so good."
Sent off as the 3-5 favorite in a six-horse field, Rushing Fall returned $3.40, $2.50, and $2.10. After the top three came Bellavais, Environs, and Capla Temptress. Got Stormy was scratched.
Rushing Fall was bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding out of the Forestry mare Autumnal and was a $320,000 purchase by agent Mike Ryan from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment to the 2016 edition of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The bay filly came off a victory in the April 13 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland, her 4-year-old debut. As a 3-year-old, she won the 1 1/8-mile Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane's End (G1T) at Keeneland, the 1 1/8-mile Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga, and the one-mile Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) back at Keeneland.
Her perfect 2-year-old season culminated in a victory in the one-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar after a JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G3T) score going 1 1/16 miles off her maiden victory at first asking in a mile turf maiden special weight at Belmont.
"She's just so versatile—the different distances she can run and her running style," Brown said. "She doesn't need the lead, but she has enough speed she can really hurt you. A horse like this does not come around very often."