Race record of 97 starts for 58 wins, 9 seconds and 12 thirds representing a career winning strike rate
of 60%. He won almost US$150,000 ( equivalent to Au$250,000 at the time ) in prizemoney.
Career Highlights
In 2000 he contested the US$100,000 Invitational Race of Champions after
winning 19 of his first 24 starts by huge margins. He started equal 2nd favorite
and finished 6th after striking early trouble from box 5. Race was won by Shata Vallie (two time
All-American) from Beastwithtobacks, BD's Phillip, B Mac's Pike, JB Junior B, Fortified Rush, Happy Voyage
and Kiowa Shawnee So.
In 2001 he won the US$35,000 Spring Classic Sprint Championship series beating the likes of
Luckydeals Honor, Iruska Allstar, Cheek To Cheek and Soul Cipher.
"Perhaps the best field of sprinters ever to go to the post in the final of a Spring Classic Championship
at Wheeling Downs" .........(Stan Pawloski, US Greyhound Review July 2001)
Fortified Rush did virtually all his racing at Wheeling Downs, generally regarded as USA's toughest speed track.
He had 94 overall starts there for 58 wins, 9 seconds and 12 thirds. He reached top grade(AA) after only 7
starts and remained there throughout his entire career. His first 50 Wheeling wins took just 71 starts....equivalent
to a 70% strike rate. He had consecutive winning streaks of 12 and 11 races at Wheeling Downs.
His best time at Wheeling(30.02) was the fastest winning time recorded in the 94 races he contested there.
Outstanding Pedigree Aspects
Fortified Rush's sire, Fortified Speed is a son of Fortress (most successful
recent Irish sire import into USA) and brother of USA stud Fortified Power who finished number
8 on the 2003 US sire list. Fortified Speed's first and only USA litter
prior to purchase by Australian interests produced Fortified Rush's. Fortified Speed's
daughter Isa Brown won the 2002 Australian Cup (Group 1) and 2002 Cranbourne Cup(Group 3).
Fortified Rush's dam, Grey's Arizona is a daughter of Grey's Statesman, renowned sire whose
progeny include Talentedmrripley (2001 USA sprinter-of-the-year and All-American team captain 2001, 2002),
Oneco Nurntoast, Seegold Excell and Seegold Big Red. Grey's Statesman (whelped
April 1990, passed away January 2003) has been a leading USA sire for several seasons. In 2002 he was 3rd
ranked sire for top grade wins on the top 5 USA tracks(and also finished 5th in 2003).Both his sire and
dam descend from the famous Tell You Why sireline.