Rushing Fall gives Brown fifth straight Diana triumph

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The Grade 1 Diana is like a long-running Broadway show that, despite changing casts, delivers big performances every time.

For director, er trainer, Chad Brown, Sunday’s 82nd Diana was another Tony Award-winning performance. For Graham Motion, it was another Susan Lucci-like feeling.

Brown is the trainer of Rushing Fall, who overtook the pace-setting Mean Mary in deep stretch to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana by a neck. For Brown, it was his fifth consecutive victory in this race, sixth overall.

Mean Mary is trained by Motion, who now has finished second in the Diana six times, five defeats coming by a head, neck, or nose, with four losses coming to Brown. The loss left Motion feeling like the daytime soap opera actress Lucci, who was nominated 18 times for an Emmy Award before she finally won.

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“Story of my life in this race,” Motion said as he went to talk to jockey Luis Saez.

Adding to the frustration for Motion was the late scratch of his other runner, Secret Message, who reared in the starting gate, unseating jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. She was quickly ordered a scratch by the attending veterinarian.

For Rushing Fall, it was another effort that rewarded owner Bob Edwards’ decision to bring her back to the races as a 5-year-old despite having already won four Grade 1 stakes and earned more than $2 million.

Edwards didn’t like the way Rushing Fall’s 4-year-old campaign ended, with a second to Sistercharlie in the Diana and a fourth to Uni in the Grade 1 First Lady last October at Keeneland.

“I felt we had more left in the tank,” Edwards said.

Rushing Fall entered the Diana off wins this year in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont and the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland. The latter victory put Rushing Fall, a daughter of More Than Ready, in rare company with Lady Eli and Beholder as fillies or mares to have won Grade 1 stakes four consecutive years.

The Diana victory improved Rushing Fall’s record to 11 wins and 2 seconds from 14 starts. She has earned $2,543,000.

Jockey Javier Castellano expected to having Rushing Fall on the lead in the Diana. But that position was taken by Mean Mary, who under Luis Saez opened up a two-length advantage after a quarter in 23.60 seconds. Castellano said he had little choice but to stalk and kept Rushing Fall within two lengths through a half-mile in 48.48 and six furlongs in 1:11.90.

Approaching the top of the stretch, Rushing Fall collared Mean Mary, but Mean Mary spurted away from a stride or two. Rushing Fall collared her again in midstretch and the two fought it out through the final furlong before Rushing Fall prevailed late.

Rushing Fall covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:45.88 and returned $4.80 as the 7-5 favorite. The inner turf course record is 1:45.61 set by Criminologist in 2007.

“She kept track of the other filly every single step of the way and when I asked her she responded,” Castellano said. “She knows how to win. I’m very lucky and thankful to ride here because she’s one of the best fillies I ever rode in my life.”

Brown said he grew concerned when the half-mile time of 48.38 was posted on the board and Mean Mary seemed to be going easy.

“I was scared of Javier getting in that trap of giving up the lead early only to get backed down into, I didn’t want that,” Brown said. “But he did a good job to engage her on the turn, he didn’t wait too long. It paid dividends late in the race that he engaged her early.”

Mean Mary finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of Sistercharlie, who had won the Diana the previous two years. Starship Jubilee, who beat Sistercharlie in the Ballston Spa earlier this meet, finished fourth. Call Me Love was last.

Brown felt Sistercharlie improved from her performance in the Ballston Spa, where she finished third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths as the 2-5 favorite.

“I thought she ran much better today than she did in the Ballston Spa,” Brown said. “We could potentially run her in one more prep before the Breeders’ Cup. Disappointed she wasn’t right there at the wire, but not discouraged that she can’t get on track for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Rushing Fall will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Brown said he would evaluate his options before deciding whether she would run once more before then.