Four-year-old Rush Now outgamed Ponzi Scheme in Saturday’s $75,000 First Responder S. at Parx Racing to give the son Tiznow his third career stakes win. Tiznow has nine stakes winners in 2012, including Wood Memorial (G1) winner Gemologist, who will join his sire to begin his stud career at WinStar in 2013.
Rush Now was in a four-way tussle for the first quarter mile of the 1 1/16-mile First Responder trip. With Ponzi Scheme prompting the pace around the turn, Rush Now was still glued to his foe. He wrested the lead in mid-stretch, and inched away in the final furlong.
The First Responder was the third straight win for Rush Now, who previously captured the Dover S. at two and Spend a Buck S. at three. He also finished second in last year’s Grade 2 West Virginia Derby. His record now stands at 7-4-1 in 18 starts, with earnings of $450,315.
The bay gelding is out of the stakes-placed mare Dirty Rush and was bred in Kentucky by Chris and Kirt Cahill. Rush Now sold for $280,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale.
