Rushing Fall's status key to Edgewood Stakes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The bad news for the 10 other 3-year-old fillies entered in Friday’s $300,000 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs is that division leader and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Rushing Fall is in the field. The good news is that after she drew post 11 and with rain in the forecast, trainer Chad Brown is considering scratching Rushing Fall from the Grade 3 Edgewood and running her instead against males the following afternoon in the Grade 2 American Turf.
“Between the post and the weather, I think I’m going to also enter her in the American Turf to give us an option,” Brown said. “I’m leaning towards running her against fillies, we’ll just have to see how it shakes out.
“Post 11 is obviously not ideal, but it’s not impossible. She had the 11 post in the Breeders’ Cup on a pretty tight track and was still able to negotiate a trip. I’m a little concerned about the possibility of softer ground on Friday. She’s fine on soft, but she’s still not looking for soft. Ideally, I’d rather run her on firm ground,” Brown said.
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Rushing Fall launched her 3-year-old campaign with a one-length victory over a yielding course going a mile in the Grade 2 Appalachian four weeks ago at Keeneland.
“Her last race was good,” Brown said. “I think she got a lot out of that race as well. She only had a handful of works going in and was still able to beat that field. I feel like she’s really improved a lot.”
Should Rushing Fall not run, the 1 1/16-mile Edgewood looms wide open. Among the key contenders is another from the Brown barn, Altea, a late-running third making her U.S. debut in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs eight weeks ago.
Trip players will likely fancy Daddy Is a Legend, who broke poorly in the Appalachian, made a huge middle move to reach close contention in early stretch, and flattened out at the end to finish fourth, 2 3/4 lengths behind Rushing Fall. The outing was the first for Daddy Is a Legend since coming from far back and overcoming an eventful trip to win the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante at Del Mar on Nov. 25.
“She’s never been a horse that breaks quick, but on that particular day she moved right at the last second and popped up a little bit at the wrong time,” trainer George Weaver said regarding the poor start in the Appalachian. “She made a big move after that, trying to get a jump on Rushing Fall, but those kind of moves never work at this level.
“If we want to have a chance against Rushing Fall this time, we’re going to have to get away better and get a better trip. We’ve gotten close to her a couple of times, and hopefully somewhere down the road we’ll be able to turn the tables on her, but for now she’s already done it all and we’re the ones who have to prove something.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. will replace regular rider Joe Bravo aboard Daddy Is a Legend on Friday.
Trainer Brad Cox will also have a strong hand in the Edgewood, sending out Beyond Blame and Figarella’s Queen. Beyond Blame is coming off an impressive allowance win at Fair Grounds. Figarella’s Queen won her last two starts, both at Gulfstream Park, including the Sanibel Island Stakes on March 31. She since has been sold privately and turned over to Cox.
Kabella has returned to trainer Danny Peitz after shipping to Steve Margolis this winter at the Fair Grounds, where she posted three consecutive victories, the last a one-length decision over Beyond Blame in an overnight stakes going one mile.
The lightly raced Toinette also demands attention. A rapidly improving filly, she brings a two-race win streak into the Edgewood and exits a strong work over the turf course here last weekend.
