Rubilinda runs down Smiling Causeway in Christiecat

ELMONT, N.Y. - Away from the races for two months due to circumstances beyond her connections’ control, Rubilinda proved worth the wait, rallying from last under Jose Ortiz to run down Smiling Causeway and win the $100,000 Christiecat Stakes, the opening-day feature at Belmont Park, by a half-length.

The win was the second from three starts for Rubilinda, who won her career debut in similar fashion here in May. She finished second in an allowance race July 9, but hadn’t run since. Rained off the turf twice and left on the also-eligible list in the Riskaverse Stakes at Saratoga, the Christiecat was the next-best option for Rubilinda.

In her debut, Rubilinda broke last and unleashed a powerful late kick to win by 3 1/4 lengths. She broke better Friday, but Ortiz decided to ride her the same way. Rubilinda, a daughter of the super sire Frankel, was last of nine through the opening half-mile, eight lengths behind Smiling Causeway, who ran the opening half-mile in 45.54 seconds.

Ortiz tipped Rubilinda approaching the top of the stretch and straightening out for home she was widest of all, but on the move. It took nearly the length of the stretch to get there, but Rubilinda did run down Smiling Causeway.

“Passing the quarter pole, when I tipped her out and asked her to run she gave me such a beautiful kick and she was moving so well on that turf,” Ortiz said. “I knew if that filly didn’t come back to me I knew she was going to have to run very hard because my filly was running hard.”

Rubilinda covered the six furlongs in 1:08.69.

Smiling Causeway finished second by a length over Adorable Miss, who was followed, in order, by Epping Forest, Heavenly Score, Riley’s Choice, Boos, Noble Freud, and Tickled Pink.

“It was a little concerning for her to be so far back but there was a lot of pace for her to run into, so she finished well and got it done,” said Cherie DeVaux, assistant to winning trainer Chad Brown. “She’s been in training the whole time but obviously hasn’t gotten to run. She’s been sitting on go for quite some time.”

The win was one of two on the opening day card for Brown, who also won the day’s third race, a third-level allowance, with Penjade. Carlos Martin also won two races on the card, taking the opener with Foreign Affair and the fifth with Aunt Babe.

Javier Castellano was on Foreign Affair and also won the fourth on Shamcat as he was the lone rider to win two races on the opening-day card.

The pick-6 was not hit on Friday, creating a $24,470 carryover into Saturday’s 10-race card.