Brown preps Rushing Fall, other turf stars for Saratoga races

Rushing Fall, installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies on Saratoga's Mellon turf course, is making her first start since she finished second to Toinette by a neck in the Grade 3 Edgewood on May 4 at Churchill. She started her career 4-for-4, including a win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar. 

Drawing post 6 in the seven-horse field, Rushing Fall will have the services of Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano as she stretches out to the Lake Placid distance of 1 1/8 miles for the first time. Rushing Fall has also done well under soft or yielding turf, with wins in the Grade 3 Jessamine on October 11 and the Grade 2 Appalachian on April 8 at Keeneland under those conditions.

"I'm excited to get her back. She seems to be doing real well," trainer Chad Brown said. "She shouldn't have a problem handling the soft turf, if it does rain like it's [forecast]."

Brown will also saddle Significant Form, who is 3-1 on the morning line and drew post 4 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. named to ride. After running fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 17 at Belmont at 1 ¼ miles, Significant Form will return to the distance at which she ran second to La Signare in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 7.

"I think the cutback to a mile and an eighth should help her; she's doing very well," Brown said.

Brown also sent out a plethora of turf workers to Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Thursday morning as his contingent readies for the later stages of the summer meet.

A Raving Beauty, targeting the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa on Travers Day, August 25, breezed a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.65 in company with Santa Monica, returning off a half-length win in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly on June 30 at Woodbine.

Third behind Ultra Brat and stablemate Sistercharlie in the Grade 1 Diana on July 21, A Raving Beauty will be looking to rebound in the 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa. The 5-year-old Mastercraftsman mare won the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 12 in her North American debut and then took the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 9, Belmont Stakes Day, at Belmont Park.

Brown said the English-bred 5-year-old Santa Monica will get the chance to race at the Spa for the first time in the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls on September 1. Contested over 1 3/8 miles on the turf, the Glens Falls is the last turf stakes for fillies and mares before the meet closes.

Santa Monica was originally scheduled to run in the Fasig-Tipton Waya on August 12 but was scratched when the race was moved off the turf to 1 ¼ miles on the main track. 

Also under consideration for the Glens Falls is Homeland Security, who breezed four furlongs in 49.31 seconds in company with Onthemoonagain. The 4-year-old Smart Strike filly is coming off a successful stakes debut last out, winning the River Memories on July 8 at Belmont in her sixth career start.

Call Provision, fourth in the Grade 1 Man o' War on May 12, is set to return to stakes competition following a win and a second-place finish in a pair of optional claimers. The 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid will be stretching out to 1 5/8 miles in the $100,000 John's Call on Wednesday, Brown said.