Rushing Fall stays perfect with Appalachian win

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rushing Fall kept her record unblemished while getting a very useful start to her 3-year-old season by coming through as a heavy favorite Sunday in the 30th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Appalachian on the Keeneland turf.

Getting a clean stalking trip under Javier Castellano, Rushing Fall surged to the lead after turning for home in the one-mile race, then turned back a challenge from Daddy Is a Legend before finishing a length clear of late-running Thewayiam. Goodthingstaketime was up in the final jumps for third over Daddy Is a Legend, whose efforts were badly compromised by a poor start.

Rushing Fall, a Kentucky-bred daughter of More Than Ready, returned $3 after finishing in 1:38.66 over a yielding course.

Chad Brown, who trains Rushing Fall for the eFive Racing Thoroughbreds of the Edwards family, said he will take time to consider the next option for Rushing Fall, who now is 4 for 4 after capping a perfect 2017 with a victory in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Asked what might be next for the bay filly, Brown said: “There are several options we’re thinking about,” with the $1 million Belmont Oaks on July 7 being the first major goal following a race in between.

On a chilly afternoon braved by 9,192 on-track fans, longshots took the early lead while Castellano got Rushing Fall to settle perfectly in fourth, several lengths behind them.

“She really was very comfortable,” Castellano said. “I put her in a good spot and she took it from there. She’s one of the best fillies I’ve ever ridden in my career, or she is before long.”

Thewayiam, the 4-1 second choice under Jose Ortiz, ran very well, incurring her first defeat in her last four starts. The Graham Motion-trained filly had reeled off wins in three straight stakes in this division at the recently ended Gulfstream Park championship meet.

After the top four, the full order was Beach Waltz, Heavenly Love, She’s Pretty Lucky, Lounge Act, and Dixie Moon. Cash Out and Ultima D were early scratches.

The $2 exacta (2-9) paid $11, the $1 trifecta (2-9-11) returned $26.70, and the 10-cent superfecta (2-9-11-1) was worth $7.56.

The triumph was the sixth of the three-day opening weekend of the 16-day Keeneland spring meet for Brown, whose prior winners included Analyze It in the Transylvania Stakes on Friday and Good Magic in the premier race of the meet, the Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday.

Keeneland goes dark Monday and Tuesday before an eight-race Wednesday card kicks off the first five-day week of the meet.