Rushing Fall Dominates G2 Lake Placid

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – e5 Racing Thoroughbreds’ Rushing Fall made a big move in the far turn to take command before rocketing away convincingly in the stretch to take Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga.

Breaking from post 6 as the 6/5 favorite under Javier Castellano, Rushing Fall raced just off the right hip of early leader Go Noni Go as the field crawled through opening splits of :25.29 and :50.20. Rushing Fall began advancing as they entered the far turn, and by the midway point through, her nose was poked in front. Continuing on full of run, Rushing Fall drew off in the stretch to win by an easy 2 3/4 lengths while never asked for her absolute best. The Chad Brown trainee crossed the wire in a final time of 1:51.86 for the 1 1/8-mile event over the yielding turf course.

“I like the way she ran on the yielding turf,” said Castellano, who won his second straight Lake Placid and third overall. “I think we took advantage of it. All the credit goes to Chad Brown. He was patient with the filly. Skipping the (Grade 3 Lake George) paid off today. She’s a nice filly and she did excellent.”

Capla Temptress employed a strong kick to close from the rear and take second by 2 1/2 lengths over Daddy Is a Legend, while Andina Del Sur overcame a slow break to edge Significant Form for fourth. Go Noni Go faded to sixth ahead of only Thewayiam, who appeared to strongly dislike the course and never fired.

Rushing Fall’s win improved her stellar record to 6-5-1-0 and made her racing’s newest millionaire with earnings now at $1,008,000. The 3-year-old daughter of More Than Ready made a strong return after a three-month break that followed her lone loss (by a neck) last out in the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes.

“She ran great,” Brown said. “She obviously handled the soft going well. We expected her to. Javier really rode a great race and adapted to the slow pace. He let her lay really close, and a mile and 1/8 may be a little far for her, but he really waited to push the button on her, and when he did, she really responded. I’m so proud of her.”

Rushing Fall returned $4.70 to win, $3.40 to place, and $2.70 to show. Capla Temptress brought back $8.20 to place and $4.70 to show, while Daddy Is a Legend paid $ to show.