'We get to fight another battle': Rushing Fall camp to regroup

Rushing Fall entered Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 First Lady Stakes with a perfect 4-for-4 record on the Keeneland turf course. As the 6-5 favorite in eight-furlong contest, she was expected to extend that streak to five.

But it wasn’t meant to be, as the daughter of More Than Ready could do no better than fourth on the day. Instead, it was her fellow Chad Brown trainee, Uni, that took home the victory, in course-record time, no less.

Rushing Fall’s connections were understandably disappointed with the outcome.

“Javier (Castellano) was going to let the pace dictate where he was going to put her,” said Bob Edwards of owner e Five Racing Thoroughbreds  after the race. 

“She’s done everything: She’s led, she’s come off the pace, she can run any style you need her to. Maybe it was a little hot, maybe it was a little firm today. She likes a little give to the ground. It could have been a number of things. 

“She ran lights out in the Just a Game (G1), lights out against Sistercharlie,” Edwards continued. “It’s hard to be disappointed with a horse who has won two Grade 1s this year. I would have loved to win another Grade 1 at Keeneland, but I’m not disappointed in the horse at all. I’m happy the horse is sound and we get to fight another battle.”

As for Rushing Fall’s immediate future, it appears that a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup in not in the cards -- but that a 5-year-old season could be ahead in 2020.

“We’ll probably regroup, talk to Chad (Brown) and come up with a plan,” Edwards said. “Maybe (send) her down to Stonestreet (in Florida) and let her winter down there and then come back and run her next year.”