Rushie may target Santa Anita Derby off sharp allowance win

Trainer Michael McCarthy arrived back in Los Angeles early Sunday morning following another successful trip to Oaklawn Park, this time to saddle Rushie to a noteworthy allowance win in closing Saturday’s 10th race.

The victory came two weeks to the day after McCarthy’s previous trip to Hot Springs, Ark., to watch Ce Ce earn a second straight Grade 1 in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1). Given the early morning travel out on Sunday, McCarthy said he had not received an update on Rushie. But, in a sentiment any horseman would echo, he noted, “No news is good news.”

Rushie is set to return home to Santa Anita Park on Monday following his game 1 ¼-length win over a deep field of 3-year-old allowance foes at Oaklawn. McCarthy indicated there’s a chance Rushie could next make his stakes debut in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) now scheduled for June 6. 

“You would have to think about it,” McCarthy said. “We’ll give him a few days to get his feet underneath him and come up with a plan of action.” 

Making his fourth career start, and first since finishing 10 lengths back of Charlatan in a Santa Anita allowance on March 14, Rushie was sent off the lukewarm 3-1 favorite at Oaklawn Park. He broke alertly from post No. 10 under Joel Rosario and was immediately placed in an ideal spot stalking pacesetter Prodigious Bay along the outside. 

Things remained that way as Prodigious Bay and Rushie ushered the field through fractions of :23.33, :47.27 and 1:11.35 for six furlongs on a fast track. With Background and Tyler Baze sitting another half length back in third, Rushie surged between horses leaving the turn and got the lead at the top of the stretch. He widened the advantage to a length at the sixteenth pole and then came home in 6.39 seconds to fend off second-choice Candy Tycoon by 1 ¼ lengths on the wire. 

McCarthy said the race, which was completed in 1:42.89, unfolded just as he had envisioned.

“I thought the way things looked on paper we would go ahead and lay close,” McCarthy said. “Joel did a good job of getting over to get him in a great spot. It looked like he had the opportunity to take the lead or lay right off of it -- hold him a little bit for a stalking position. I thought all in all, it was pretty tactical the way things got done.”

McCarthy entered Saturday’s race with a high level of confidence. He said Rushie, who was a gate-to-wire maiden winner prior to running into Charlatan, “has got a touch of class to him.”

“I thought that race against Charlatan was better than it looked," McCarthy said. “[Jockey] Mike [Smith] decided not to get too aggressive with him when he knew he wouldn’t get better than second. I appreciated that he left a little in the tank. He had trained forwardly since that race. I can’t say that performance was a surprise.” 

By Liam’s Map out of the Colonel John mare Conquest Angel, Rushie is owned by Jim and Donna Daniell, who are relative newcomers to the game. Purchased for $70,000 at auction last year, Rushie is their most successful horse to this date with $81,351 earned.

“Jim and Donna Daniell have put a lot of money into the game the last few years starting out and building their stable,” McCarthy said. “They’ve been very patient, so it’s nice to have a horse like this for them.”