More Than Ready’s Rushing Fall made a successful 2018 debut in Sunday’s $200,000 Appalachian S. (G2) at Keeneland, winning the one-mile turf contest for 3-year-old fillies by a length as the odds-on favorite.
Trained by Chad Brown for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Rushing Fall was three-for-three as a 2-year-old winning the Jessamine County S. (G3) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to close out her 2017 campaign.
Without much early pace on, Rushing Fall found herself in fourth through the first half-mile, much closer to the pace than she had been in her 2-year-old races. The field began to accelerate about three furlongs from the wire, with Rushing Fall coming three-wide into the stretch. Daddy Is a Legend got her nose in front in upper stretch, but Rushing Fall quickly reasserted herself to regain the lead and easily held off Thewayiam (FR) to secure the win.
“She was very comfortable rating. I know the pace was slow today,” said winning rider Javier Castellano. “I didn’t expect her to be too close to the pace, but the way the race unfolded, I took it from there. She was much the best. She’s one of the best fillies I’ve ridden in my career. Thankful to be part of the team.”
Rushing Fall, who has now earned $805,000, sold for $320,000 as a yearling at Saratoga. She is the third graded stakes winner this year for More Than Ready, whose progeny have topped the $2 million mark already in 2018.
Pedigree notes from the TDN:
Rushing Fall is a half to stakes winner and three-time graded stakes-placed Milam, as well as Homecoming Dance–herself the dam of this year’s Damon Runyon S. winner Empire Line. Second dam Marie J. (Mr. Prospector) was graded stakes-placed, and this is also the family of GISW Albert the Great.
