Irad Ortiz Jr. wins five on Belmont's opening day; Rushing Fall wires Beaugay

ELMONT, N.Y. – While in many ways, the first day of horse racing in New York in 2 1/2 months looked different, in many ways, it was the same.

While no fans or owners were allowed to attend Wednesday’s opening-day card at Belmont Park and with jockeys, trainers, and other essential personnel allowed on the grounds wearing facial coverings, horse racing was able to return in New York for the first time since March 15.

Bettors responded by wagering $10,972,254 million on the 10-race card, a record for an opening day at a Belmont spring/summer meet, according to the New York Racing Association. The previous record was $10.7 million in 2010.

Belmont’s opening day was originally scheduled for April 24, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit New York harder than any state in the country with more 374,085 cases and 24,079 deaths, according to the state’s health department website.

What was familiar was the sight of Irad Ortiz Jr. and trainer Chad Brown making multiple trips to the winner’s circle. Ortiz rode five winners on the card.

Brown won two races, including the Grade 3, $100,000 Beaugay Stakes with Rushing Fall, who was one of two winners on the card ridden by Javier Castellano.

Rushing Fall, a 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready, was able to control the pace of the Beaugay through manageable fractions – a quarter in 24.59 seconds and a half-mile in 47.95 – and after taking some token pressure from Got Stormy, she put that one away with relative ease.

Rushing Fall covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.17 and returned $3.70 as the favorite.

Call Me Love rallied to get second, two lengths behind Rushing Fall and 2 3/4 lengths in front of Passing Out. Got Stormy was fourth, followed by Xenobia. Fifty Five was scratched due to an ankle injury.

Rushing Fall, who improved to 9 for 12 with eight stakes wins, was making her first start since a fourth-place finish in last October’s Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland.

“Very gratifying, relief,” said Brown, noting that Rushing Fall had a good winter at Stonestreet Ocala under the tutelage of Ian Brennan. “These 5-, 6-year-old mares coming off the worst race of their life sometimes they don’t want to run anymore. It’s a big risk for these owners to put them back in training.”

Brown said owner Bob Edwards, who races under e Five Thoroughbreds, “deserves a lot of credit committing to the season not knowing exactly what the outcome was going to be.”

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Castellano said Brown told him in the paddock that he wanted Rushing Fall on the lead.

“He knew he had the best horse in the race, he wanted to see how she performed today, he wanted to see how good she is and how she came back off the layoff, and she did it,” Castellano said. “She’s back. She’s one of the best horses in the country.”

In March, Castellano was diagnosed with COVID-19 and though he was asymptomatic, he didn’t ride for six weeks. Since his return, he went a combined 3 for 39 at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs.

“I’m so happy to be here,” Castellano said. “I’ve been through a pretty rough time the last couple of months with the virus and being quarantined.”

In order to participate, all jockeys had to produce either a negative test for COVID-19 or a positive test for the antibodies, an indication that a person has had the virus and it has resolved.

Castellano said several valets were asked to leave Belmont because their tests results had not yet returned.

“We need to be a little more organized, have better communication,” Castellano said. “I don’t blame anybody.”

From his standpoint, Brown said logistically the day went very well.

“I thought NYRA was very organized, I felt myself and my employees were safe, Brown said. “It was challenging not to see fans and owners, and I feel bad for those people that couldn’t participate today, but as far as the logistics, we participated in three races and everything was well organized, very safe, and really couldn’t have been done any better for today.”

The Belmont card began shortly after 1:20 p.m. with Star of the West, making his first start since last July, winning a maiden $20,000 claiming race by five lengths.

Reylu Gutierrez rode the winner for Rudy Rodriguez. For Gutierrez, it was his first ride since the last day racing was conducted in New York, March 15 at Aqueduct. Coincidentally, Gutierrez rode the winner that day as well.

“Winning the first race back means the world,” Gutierrez, 23, said after the race. “Just battling to earn a place here. I had a little tear after the wire because it really means a lot to me.”

Prior to the start of the card, the jockeys gathered in the paddock – equipped with masks – and participated in a moment of silence in honor of COVID-19 victims.

When the moment of silence was over, the riders all took a knee, in acknowledgment of the equality issues that have spawn protests nationwide in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man, caused by the actions of a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, in Minnesota.

“There’s a lot going on in the world right now,” Gutierrez said. “It’s important to show respect to all causes and to all people and to show here at NYRA we support everybody and horse racing in general supports all ethnicities.”