Acorn

Bushfire (inside) outgamed Hello Liberty at the wire (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) Ronald Rashinski & Ricki Rashinski's BUSHFIRE (Louis Quatorze) finished a good third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 5, but because of a bump in late stretch, the bay miss was disqualified and placed sixth that day. On Saturday, the Eddie Kenneally charge redeemed herself in the eyes of many with a gutsy neck victory under Alex Solis in the $250,000 Acorn S. (G1) at Belmont Park. The start of the mile test for sophomore fillies was delayed when Miraculous Miss (Mr. Greeley) started acting up in the gate. Suddenly, the Steven Klesaris-trained chestnut bolted forward, but the assistant starter held her from breaking through. Instead, she reared up and flipped over, becoming trapped beneath the metal starting gate. The assistant starters quickly pulled jockey Kent Desormeaux out of the melee, but it wasn't so easy to get Miraculous Miss out as she began to panic. Getting her calmed down, and the rest of the fillies out of the gate, the starters managed to get Miraculous Miss free and she was immediately checked out by track veterinarian. Scratched by the stewards, the three-year-old was joined on the sidelines watching the race by Wonder Lady Anne L (Real Quiet), who was adversely affected by the thrashing of Miraculous Miss in the gate.

The now seven-horse field was quickly reloaded, and the gates opened with no

other incidents arising.

Bushfire, who remained calm throughout the whole scene, immediately moved to

the front along the inside with Hello Liberty (Forest Camp) not far behind just

to her outside. Setting quick splits of :22 1/5 and :45, Bushfire battled

throughout with Hello Liberty, who managed to get a half-length in front

rounding the turn through six furlongs in 1:09. With Last Romance (Wild Rush)

closing quickly on the outside, it looked like Bushfire would have to settle for

second, and maybe even third, but the game sophomore wasn't to be denied again.

The bay dug in with Solis urging her on and came back along the inside,

narrowing Hello Liberty's advantage to just a head in midstretch. The gutsy

Bushfire kept her momentum going and managed to get her neck down at the wire,

finishing the fast track test in 1:35 4/5 as the 9-2 fourth choice.

"Those were some fast fractions going against the wind," Solis said. "She's a

real nice filly. She really dug in when that filly came to her. She just kept

trying and trying."

Rewarding her backers with payouts of $11.20, $5.70 and $4.20, Bushfire keyed

the $100.50 exacta, $877 trifecta and $3,363 superfecta (3-8-1-2). Hello Liberty

was game throughout the Acorn, holding second by 1 3/4 lengths to return $8.10

and $5.40 at 9-1. Last Romance was worth $7.30 at 15-1, and followed under the

line by 9-5 favorite Adieu (El Corredor), Ermine (Exchange Rate), She's

Excellent (Senor Speedy) and Teammate (A.P. Indy).

Bushfire first showed brilliance when taking the Florida Oaks in mid-March,

but really shined with an easy 6 1/2-length score in the Ashland S. (G1) at

Keeneland prior to the Kentucky Oaks. Her record now reads 8-5-0-1 and she's

earned $633,299.

"In the (Kentucky) Oaks, she was very wide in the first turn but ran a good

race," Kenneally said. "She's a gutsy filly. It was great to come back and

rebound and win a Grade 1."

Bred in Florida by Moreau Bloodstock International and Mandolynn Hill Farm,

Bushfire is out of the 1990 Old Hat S. winner, Traki Traki (Mo Power), who has

also produced stakes winners Frosty's Girl (Frosty the Snowman), Maracaibo (Skip

Trial) and Frosty's on Track (Frosty the Snowman) as well as an unnamed yearling

colt by Macho Uno.

Bushfire RNA'ed at $37,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling, and Kenneally

said she could now point for the Test S. (G1) on August 5 at Saratoga.