Brown brigade gets finishing touches in Belmont works

Trainer Chad Brown will send out a baker's dozen in pursuit of victories at Saturday's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland. The four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner breezed the bulk of his Breeders' Cup contingent on Sunday morning at Belmont.

Rushing Fall, an aspirant for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf for e Five Thoroughbred Racing, went a half-mile in 50.69 seconds in company with Peter Brant's Sistercharlie (50.66) over a soft inner turf.

Rushing Fall, a 5-year-old bay mare by leading Breeders' Cup producing stallion More Than Ready, will look to become only the fifth horse to notch victories in two different Breeders' Cup races. During her juvenile campaign, Rushing Fall won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

Rushing Fall is unbeaten this year in three starts, all at different tracks, while garnering triple-digit speed figures. Following a 2020 debut win in the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3 at Belmont Park, she scored back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Jenny Wiley on July 11 at Keeneland and the Diana on Aug. 23 at Saratoga.

"She's been training well," said e Five Thoroughbred Racing owner Bob Edwards. "I've been speaking with Chad quite a bit. She's a mare that works better with breaks, so we gave her a little freshening after the Diana. We know she loves Keeneland. I'm looking forward to the Breeders' Cup, and hopefully she gets a good trip."

Rushing Fall, who has earned $2,553,000 while boasting a 14: 11-2-0 record, is scheduled to go through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale following the Breeders' Cup, where she will be consigned by Indian Creek.

"It's kind of bittersweet," Edwards said. "Regardless of what happens, we're still proud of her. She's sound and she's training well. Coming back after last year's Keeneland race (fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 First Lady), she wasn't herself. We felt we had to race her one more year and it's all paid off.

"She's gotten more mature and confident in herself," Edwards added. "She has a gorgeous blaze, great head, and great body. It's a test going mile and three-sixteenths since she's never gone that long before, but Chad is a phenomenal trainer and he's won this before."

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has been aboard Rushing Fall in all of her starts and seeks a 13th Breeders' Cup victory in the Filly and Mare Turf.

Sistercharlie is in pursuit of a second triumph in the Filly Mare and Turf. The seven-time Grade 1 winner was third in the Ballston Spa (G2) and Diana (G1), both at Saratoga, and will attempt to join Ouija Board (2004, 2006) as the only horses to score non-consecutive wins in the Filly and Mare Turf. Brown's remaining Filly and Mare Turf hopefuls My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay, the second- and third-place finishers last out in the Flower Bowl (G1) on Oct. 10 at Belmont, also worked a half-mile on the inner turf Sunday in company with Eliade and Digital Age, respectively.

Also on the work tab for Brown was Uni, the winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Mile, who went a half-mile in 50.60 in company with Domestic Spending. Uni seeks a repeat victory in the event coming off a second consecutive triumph in the First Lady (G1) on Oct. 3 at Keeneland.

The four-time Grade 1 winning 6-year-old chestnut daughter of More Than Ready was third to stablemate Newspaperofrecord in the Just a Game (G1) on June 27 over the Widener turf at Belmont before an uncharacteristic seventh as the favorite in the Fourstardave (G1) over the Saratoga Mellon turf.

"Her last couple of works have shown that she's really starting to show her old self," said Bradley Weisbord, who manages Uni on behalf of owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables. "Going from five to six, some horses may take a few races to knock the rust off. She's got a major turn of foot and it looks like we're going to get firm ground for Saturday. She's won on many different surfaces, but firm turf is where she is best."

Uni will attempt to become the sixth horse to notch back-to-back Mile victories, following Miesque (1987-88), Lure (1993-94), Da Hoss (1996,98), Goldikova (2008-10) and Wise Dan (2012-13).

Digital Age completed his half-mile work in 51.25. Owned by Klaravich Stables, the Irish-bred son of Invincible Sprit won the Old Forester Bourbon (G1) on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs last out.

Peter Brant's Editor At Large (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf), third in the Miss Grillo (G2) on Oct. 4 at Belmont Park last out, worked a half-mile in 50.75 in company with Klaravich Stables' Public Sector (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf), second in the Pilgrim (G2) on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, who was clocked in 50.69. Brown won the Juvenile Turf last year with Structor.

On the main track, Brown sent out Klaravich Stables' Complexity, winner of the Grade 2 Kelso last out, for a half-mile breeze in 49.21. The son of Maclean's Music, who won the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old, has given first preference to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile over the Sprint. Also for Brown and Klaravich, Reinvestment Risk went a half-mile in 49.04 seconds in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, which Brown won with Good Magic in 2017. The son of first-crop sire Upstart was a recent second in the Champagne (G1) to likely Juvenile favorite Jackie's Warrior.

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road logged a five-furlong work in 1:00.60 for Brown. The winner of last year's Alabama (G1) at Saratoga is targeting the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff, where she finished fifth last year.