'Honest' Rushing Fall bids for another Keeneland win in QE II

Those who follow Keeneland racing should be familiar with e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Rushing Fall, one of trainer Chad Brown’s many talented turf fillies who have raced in Lexington, Ky. That's because on Saturday, Rushing Fall will bid for her third Keeneland stakes win in the Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

A year ago, Rushing Fall arrived here for the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) after winning her career debut at Belmont. She captured the Keeneland stakes as the 9-10 favorite and earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, which she also won.

The filly returned to Keeneland in April, making her 2018 debut in the Appalachian (G2). After winning that race, Brown indicated he planned to return her for the QE II. In between, she was nailed at the finish of the Edgewood (G3) at Churchill Downs and defeated QE II entrants Capla Temptress (IRE) and Daddy Is a Legend in the Lake Placid (G2) in August.

One member of Brown’s team who has spent a lot of time with Rushing Fall is assistant trainer Whit Beckman, who mostly has been with the Brown string in New York.

“She’s an even-tempered, quiet filly around the barn,” said Beckman, who has worked for Brown for 2½ years. “Never had an issue training her. She’s always been pretty honest. She’s just a pleasure to have around. She’s a good one.”

Brown first won the QE II in 2012 with Dayatthespa, who also had won the Appalachian during the Spring Meet. Dayatthespa returned to win Keeneland’s 2014 First Lady (G1), and she earned the Eclipse Award that year as champion turf female.

On Oct. 6, he scored his 24th Keeneland stakes victory when A Raving Beauty (GER) took the First Lady.

In other QE II updates...

Princess Warrior may scratch

Evan, Matthew and Andrew Trommer’s Princess Warrior is undeniably talented, but the extent of her abilities is a question that could be answered Saturday in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

However, trainer Kenny McPeek might opt to scratch from the QE II in favor of the Oct. 19 Pin Oak Valley View (G3), another race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on grass. Entries for the Valley View will be taken the day after the QE II.

“We’ll make the decision on race day,” McPeek said Thursday morning. “She’s going to need her best race of her life to win this spot. I’ll always believe that if you can get black type with a filly – especially Grade 1 black type – then you should chase it. So we’re cautiously optimistic she’ll be competitive in the QE II.

“The Valley View might or might not be an easier spot for her,” he added. “It might end up with 12, 14 horses, so if that’s the case maybe we’re better off running in the eight-horse field in the QE II. It’s not a black-and-white call. It’s all gray.”

McPeek compares Princess Warrior to one of his many other superior fillies, Daddys Lil Darling, who like Princess Warrior was runner-up in the Darley Alicibiades (G1) as a 2-year-old. Daddys Lil Darling was subsequently the runner-up in last year’s QE II as part of her 20-race career in which she earned $1,335,305 and won five times.

Princess Warrior was second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 12 in her most recent start. Prior to that, she was third in the Pucker Up (G3) at Arlington Park. Her overall record stands at 2-3-2 and $267,941 in 12 trips to the post.

Newcomer entered for Motion

When trainer Graham Motion won the first of his five Grade 1 stakes at Keeneland, the filly that delivered the triumphant performance had been in his barn her entire career.

That was Film Maker back in 2003. Should Secret Message give Motion a second victory in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, she will do it as a relative newcomer to the stable.

“Bradley Weisbord bought her after her allowance win at Turfway (March 31) for the ownership group and she came to me after that,” Motion said of Secret Message, who is owned in partnership by Madaket Stables, ERJ Racing, Elayne Stable 5 and Bouchey Thoroughbred Ventures.

Once in Motion’s care, Secret Message transitioned to turf where she has compiled a 4-1-2-0 record with the victory coming in the Pucker Up (G3) at Arlington in August.

“She is a lovely, attractive filly and she does everything well in the morning,” Motion said of Secret Message, who was a fast-closing second in her most recent start in the Sands Point (G2) at Belmont on Sept. 15.

“She broke a step slow the first time she ran for us (in the Hilltop at Pimlico) and got stirred up at Churchill Downs (for the Grade 3 Regret under the lights) and acted up (at the gate).”

In the Pucker Up, she dropped back to the rear of the field after the break, “but it probably looks worse on paper (in the Past Performances), than it was,” Motion said.

Secret Message will be ridden for the first time Saturday by Jorge Vargas Jr.

“This is kind of a tricky weekend for riders with big races at Keeneland, Belmont and Woodbine,” Motion said. “Jorge rides most of my horses locally and I have a lot of confidence in him.”