Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Rushing Fall, Sistercharlie work over yielding ground
ELMONT, N.Y. – Led by Rushing Fall and Sistercharlie, five of trainer Chad Brown’s possible 12 Breeders’ Cup candidates put in workouts Monday morning over Belmont Park’s yielding inner turf course.
Rushing Fall, working on the outside, and Sistercharlie went five furlongs as a team in 1:02.80, coming home their final quarter in 24.58 seconds around orange cones, referred to as dogs, over a course that had plenty of give in it following weekend rains. It’s the type of course they could encounter at Keeneland in early November.
“It was a really, really good work, very pleased with both horses,” Brown said. “The course had some give in it, and they both handled it fine.”
Rushing Fall is 3 for 3 this year with Grade 1 victories in the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland and the Diana at Saratoga. She is returning to Keeneland, where she has won 4 of 5 starts, including the Jessamine at 2 and the Appalachian at 3, both over soft or yielding turf.
Sistercharlie is 0 for 2 this year. She did cap her championship 4-year-old season with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf over extremely soft ground – though it was labeled good – at Churchill Downs in 2018.
Brown said My Sister Nat, the half-sister to Sistercharlie and runner-up in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on Oct. 10, is probable for the Filly and Mare Turf. She will return to the work tab next weekend.
Also working for Brown on turf Monday were Digital Age, who went five furlongs in company with Delaware in 1:03.80. Digital Age is pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Uni, last year’s BC Mile winner, and Domestic Spending, who is being pointed to the
Hollywood Derby at Del Mar at the end of November, went a half-mile in company in 50.63 seconds. Brown has liked the way Uni has trained since her victory in the Grade 1 First Lady on Oct. 3 at Keeneland.
“She’s coming around at the right time,” Brown said. “She has a big shot in that race.”
Brown left Mile candidates Raging Bull and Without Parole in Kentucky following their second- and thirdplace finishes, respectively, in the Shadwell Turf Mile. They worked a half-mile in 50 seconds on Sunday at Keeneland.
Public Sector, Brown’s probable runner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, went a half-mile in 51.98 in company with Editor At Large at Belmont.
Funny Guy to stretch out
Funny Guy, runner-up to Firenze Fire in the Grade 2 Vosburgh here Sept. 26, returned to the work tab Monday, going an easy halfmile in 49.98 seconds over the main track in company with fellow New York-bred Tale of the Union.
Trainer John Terranova said he would definitely want to stretch Funny Guy out in distance for his next start, which could come as early as this weekend in the $175,000 Empire Classic for New Yorkbreds at 1 1/8 miles, or the following weekend in the Grade 3, $100,000 Bold Ruler Handicap going seven furlongs.
Terranova has even mentioned training up to the Grade 1 Clark on Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs.
“He’s not a sprinter, he needs to go a little farther,” Terranova said. “We’re seeing where everybody else is landing.”
Aqueduct jockey protocols
The New York Racing Association announced protocols for jockeys wishing to ride at the Aqueduct 18-day fall meet that runs from Nov. 6 through Dec. 6.
Those who are considered members of the Aqueduct jockey colony who ride at another track during the Aqueduct fall meet must provide two negative COVID-19 tests taken within a five-day window in order to return to Aqueduct. For example, those who ride the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup card at Keeneland would need to return to New York on Nov. 8 take a test that day and again on Nov. 12 to ride the Nov. 12 card.
Jockeys traveling out of state who have completed the required testing will then be physically isolated in the jockey quarters for three additional calendar days.
Jockeys not currently riding at NYRA who wish to join the Aqueduct jockey colony for the beginning of the Aqueduct fall meet must contact Martin Panza, NYRA’s senior vice president of racing operations, or Keith Doleshel, the Aqueduct racing secretary, by Nov. 11. Those riders also must provide two negative COVID-19 tests within a fiveday window to ride at Aqueduct.
In order to mitigate risk and reduce the spread of COVID-19, Aqueduct will be closed to outof-town jockeys not considered members of the regular NYRA jockey colony.
All testing must be performed in New York state.
Protocols for Aqueduct’s winter meet, which begins Dec. 10, will be announced at a later date.
The Belmont Park backstretch area remains off limits to jockeys. Those who wish to work a horse must meet that horse and trainer in the Belmont paddock.
Jockey agents arriving from outside New York must produce a negative COVID-19 test in order to gain access to the barn area at Belmont Park. Races will continue to be drawn via Zoom.