Rush Bay, a two-time graded stakes winner will enter stud in 2009 at Murmur Farm near Darlington, Md. The farm is owned by E. Allen Murray Jr. and his wife, Audrey. His stud fee has not been announced.
A 6-year-old son of Cozzene, Rush Bay finished his career with earnings of $742,847, with six wins and five seconds from 18 starts. He ran first or second in six stakes, five of which were graded.
Rush Bay scored graded wins in the Nijinsky Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine and the Jefferson Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs. At 4, he posted consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures at Churchill Downs when winning the Opening Verse Handicap and an optional claiming race. As a 2-year-old, he finished second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill.
In one of his best performances, the 2006 John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT), Rush Bay took charge after going a mile and lead until the upper stretch. He finished a solid fourth behind Red Rocks, Better Talk Now, and English Channel .
“It wasn’t until his final season that we recognized that his speed was really his best asset, and when he won the Opening Verse here at Churchill, that was the first time we allowed him to use his speed,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “Towards the rest of his career, that’s exactly what we did, and we almost stole the race in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.”
During his career, Rush Bay also ran second in the Sycamore Breeders’ Cup (gr. IIIT) and Crown Royal American Turf (gr. IIIT) Stakes.
Rush Bay was seriously injured in his final start May 2007, suffering a complete disruption of the suspensory apparatus in his left front leg. Successful surgery to stabilize his pastern was performed by Dr. Dwayne Rodgerson of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.
Bred in Kentucky by Phoebe Ann Mueller Trust, Rush Bay raced for the Mueller family. He is out of the winning Deputy Minister mare Seoul, whose millionaire half-brother, Chorwon, is by Cozzene.