Javier Castellano | Horse Racing Free Tips

Rushie’s ‘Natural Speed’ Will Play To His Advantage In Blue Grass

Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie, third behind Honor A. P. in the June 6 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his most recent start, drew post 10 in the 13-horse field for Saturday's $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland.

“I'm fine with the draw,” trainer Michael McCarthy said Wednesday afternoon from his base at Del Mar. “He's very tactical. He's got plenty of natural ability and natural speed. I would imagine he'd probably be laying somewhere in that first group of horses going into the first turn.”

Rushie will be ridden by Javier Castellano, who won the 2019 Toyota Blue Grass aboard Vekoma.

McCarthy has had only two starters at Keeneland, and Rushie will become his first runner in the Toyota Blue Grass. The colt is a member of the first crop of Liam's Map, who won the 2015 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Liam's Map is the sire of another Toyota Blue Grass hopeful, Basin.

Rushie is out of the Colonel John mare Conquest Angel, whose half-sister Peace and War won Keeneland's Darley Alcibiades (G1) in 2014. His family also includes last year's Darley Alcibiades winner, champion British Idiom.

Rushie is not nominated to the Triple Crown, but his performance in the Toyota Blue Grass might change that status.

“We're going to let him earn his way to the first Saturday in September – that sounds strange to say that,” McCarthy said about the rescheduled Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). “If he were to run well, it's something that the Daniells and myself would go ahead and think about. There are plenty of races out there later in the summer and in the fall all over the country that will be worth taking a look at, so let's see what happens.

“If he jumps up and runs well, I guess we have to think about something like that. It's a good problem to have.”

McCarthy has entered Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Speech in both Friday's $100,000 Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select and Saturday's $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1). In her last race, Speech was second to Swiss Skydiver in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2). Swiss Skydiver will face Rushie in the Toyota Blue Grass.

“I like the idea of the Beaumont, the one turn on the Beard Course,” he said referring to the stakes' distance of 7 furlongs, 184 feet. “Just thought it would be a good idea for insurance to go ahead and enter in the Ashland just in case something crazy happened over the next 48 hours.”

So he's leaning toward the Beaumont for Speech?

“Ah …… Not sure yet.”

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Rushing Fall Chasing Repeat Victory In Jenny Wiley

E Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Rushing Fall will chase history Saturday when she headlines a field of eight fillies and mares for the 32nd running of the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Keeneland.

The Coolmore Jenny Wiley will be the eighth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 4:57 p.m. post time.

Trained by three-time race winner Chad Brown, Rushing Fall will be trying to join Intercontinental (GB) (2004-2005) as the only repeat winner of the race. With a victory Saturday, Rushing Fall would join Lady Eli and Beholder as the only horses since 1976 to win Grade 1 races at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Regular rider Javier Castellano, who has been aboard for Rushing Fall's four previous stakes victories at Keeneland, has the call Saturday and will break from post position four. Only Wise Dan has won more Keeneland stakes (seven) than Rushing Fall, who shares the second spot with Take Charge Lady.

Invading from California are Fox Hill Farms' Jolie Olimpica (BRZ) and Ken Baca, Edward Hudson Jr. and Lynne Hudson's Toinette.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Jolie Olimpica has won five of six career starts with her most recent victory coming in the Monrovia (G2) at Santa Anita in May. Mike Smith the mount and will break from post six.

Toinette, who came off a six-month layoff to win the Wilshire (G3) in her 2020 debut, owns a victory over Rushing Fall with a neck triumph in the 2018 Edgewood (G3) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Neil Drysdale, Toinette will be ridden by Flavien Prat and break from post eight.

The field for the Coolmore Jenny Wiley, with riders from the inside, is: Secret Message (John Velazquez), Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Luis Saez), La Signare (FR) (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Rushing Fall (Castellano), Mucho Unusual (Julien Leparoux), Jolie Olimpica (BRZ) (Smith), Altea (FR) (Joel Rosario), Toinette (Prat). All starters will carry 118 pounds.

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Vekoma Scores Front-Running Victory In Runhappy Met Mile

Under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma scored a front-running victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., holding off late charges from Network Effect and Code of Honor and earning an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race.

Trained by George Weaver, Vekoma – 4-year-old colt by Candy Ride out of G1 Humana Distaff winner Mona de Momma, by Speightstown – covered one mile on a fast track in 1:32.88 after setting fractions of :22.73, :45.87 and 1:09.57.

Network Effect, who altered course in the stretch after lacking room along the rail, finished second. Code of Honor closed on the outside for third, with Warrior's Charge fourth and McKinzie fifth in the field of eight older runners.

Vekoma carried 123 pounds, two less than high-weight McKinzie. Both went off at 9-5.

The win was the sixth in eight starts for Vekoma, winner of the G3 Nashua at 2 in 2018, the G2 Blue Grass Stakes in 2019 and then 13th in the G1 Kentucky Derby. Given a lengthy rest by Weaver after the Derby, Vekoma came back in March to win the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream, then came from just off the pace to win the G1 Carter Handicap on June 6. Network Effect finished second that day, too.

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Monomoy Girl Works At Belmont In Advance Of July 11 Ruffian

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables' multiple Grade 1-winnner Monomoy Girl breezed a half-mile in company in 49.30 seconds at 8:45 a.m. Saturday on a muddy Belmont Park main track under Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano in preparation for the Grade 2, $150,000 Ruffian, a one-turn mile, at Belmont in Elmont, N.Y., on July 11.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 5-year-old Tapizar mare worked in company with multiple stakes winner A Bit of Both through splits of 12.3, 24.4 and out in 1:02.1.

Castellano said he enjoyed his cameo appearance aboard Monomoy Girl while filling in for regular pilot Florent Geroux, who will be at Belmont next weekend to ride the chestnut in the Ruffian.

“Today it was a very straightforward work, a half-mile from the half-mile pole with another horse inside. I was outside tracking the other horse,” said Castellano. “She handled the track well. Even at the beginning when we started galloping she was splashing nice and smooth in a good rhythm, good balance and good mind. These good types of horses, they do that.”

Monomoy Girl arrived at Belmont Park on Wednesday, alongside Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile contender Warrior's Charge, to prepare for her first graded race since capturing the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November 2018.

That win capped an Eclipse Award-winning season for Monomoy Girl which included Grade 1 victories in the Ashland at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, Acorn at Belmont Park and the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. The talented filly crossed the wire first – a neck in front of Midnight Bisou – in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx but was disqualified and placed second as the only blemish on her 3-year-old filly champion campaign.

Monomoy Girl, who missed the entirety of her 4-year-old season, was sent to WinStar Farm last spring after a mild case of colic and suffered an injury to her hamstring last fall when preparing for a potential comeback.

The champion chestnut returned to action on May 16 with a 2 3/4-length win in an optional-claiming tilt contested on a sloppy Churchill Downs main track, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bred in Kentucky by FPF LLC and Highfield Ranch, Monomoy Girl is out of the Henny Hughes mare Drumette. A $100,000 purchase at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she boasts a record of 12-10-2-0 with purse earnings in excess of $3 million.

The Grade 2 Ruffian is the final graded stakes of the 25-day Belmont spring/summer meet. Closing weekend will also include the $80,000 River Memories, a 1 1/2-mile stamina test on the turf for older fillies and mares, on Closing Day Sunday, July 12, before live racing shifts to Saratoga Race Course for the 40-day summer meet which runs from Thursday, July 16 through Labor Day, September 7.

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