Even-money favorite Rushing Fall and Daddy Is a Legend turned Friday’s $200,000 Edgewood S. (G3) into a match race turning into the stretch, but Toinette flew late to cut them both down in her stakes debut. The result was yet another laurel for late sire Scat Daddy, responsible for Toinette and Daddy Is a Legend on the eve of his Kentucky Derby (G1) foursome captained by Justify and Mendelssohn.
Bet down to 5-1 from a morning line of 12-1, Toinette was stepping up from a Keeneland allowance score for Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale. Her Edgewood start was inauspicious as she got bumped and relegated near the back early. Jockey Flavien Prat gave her time to regroup and did not ask her until the homestretch.
Meanwhile, Rushing Fall didn’t have the smoothest of passages from post 11. After having to steady off heels approaching the clubhouse turn, she advanced out wide and found herself uncharacteristically prompting and then on the pace. Figarella’s Queen, who had the lead through the opening quarter in :24.40 on the firm turf, was headed by Rushing Fall at the half in :48.21.
Daddy Is a Legend took closer order as they made their way down the backstretch, and when hooking up with Rushing Fall, they skipped away from the rest through six furlongs in 1:11.37. The two 123-pound co-highweights grappled eyeball to eyeball passing the mile in 1:35.23, but Rushing Fall kept finding more to win the war of wills. Only that wasn’t enough.
Toinette, five lengths back in midstretch, turned on the turbo inside the final furlong. Although Got Stormy and Altea also rallied into the picture, neither was finishing with the gusto of Toinette. Swamping the duelists in the shadow of the post, the winner got up by a neck in 1:41.70 for 1 1/16 miles.
Rushing Fall ran a mighty race while suffering her first loss, mastering Daddy Is a Legend by a half-length for second. Fourth-placer Got Stormy had the same margin to spare over Altea. Figarella’s Queen tired to ninth of 10.
Owned by Ken Baca, Nicholas and Lisa Hawkins, and Joseph and Lynne Hudson, Toinette has earned $198,920 from her 4-3-0-0 line. Her only loss came in her career debut on the Del Mar dirt, where she closed smartly from last for fourth. The dark bay switched to turf for a downhill sprint maiden at Santa Anita, and despite getting squeezed back to last at the break, got up in time by a nose. She took the next step at Keeneland, and proved herself against a few proper rivals here to stay perfect on the grass.
Toinette was bred by J.D. Stuart , P.C. Bance, and A.R. Enterprises in Kentucky. She RNA’d for $120,000 as a newly turned (“short”) yearling at Keeneland January, and went to her current connections for $110,000 at the same venue later in September. Toinette is the first registered foal from New York-bred stakes winner I Bet Toni Knows, a daughter of Sunriver (Ashado’s Grade 1-winning full brother).
