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Promising Filly Echo Zulu Tops Sunday’s Spinaway

Winchell Thoroughbreds and L and N Racing's Echo Zulu will attempt to parlay a sensational debut victory into a graded stakes win as she takes on a field of nine 2-year-old fillies assembled for Sunday's 130th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway going seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

The historic event has been won by subsequent Champion 2-Year-Old Females Before Dawn [1981], Family Style [1985], Meadow Star [1990], Flanders [1994], Golden Attraction [1995], Countess Diana [1997] and Vequist [2020]. In its earlier years, the Spinaway was won by Hall of Fame fillies Miss Woodford [1883], Maskette [1908], Top Flight [1930], Cicada [1961], Affectionately [1962], La Prevoyante [1972] and Ruffian [1974].

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu was highly impressive on debut, romping to a 5 ½-length maiden score on July 15 at Saratoga, where she recorded a 92 Beyer Speed Figure – the highest recorded figure for a 2-year-old filly this year.

“The idea was always that she could be a Saratoga 2-year-old,” said Winchell Thoroughbreds racing and bloodstock advisor David Fiske. “She showed some early speed, but for her to win the way she did and to get the number she got, I don't think anyone was expecting that.”

Echo Zulu, bought for $300,000 out of the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the graded stakes winning Menifee mare Letgomyecho. She is a half-sister to L and N Racing's Echo Town, the winner of last year's Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.

A victory would give her leading freshman stallion Gun Runner his first Grade 1 win as a sire. He has already sired two graded stakes winners in his first crop, including Grade 2 Adironack winner Wicked Halo who also is owned by Winchell and trained by Asmussen.

“She came out of Steve's parents' operation in Laredo pretty highly touted,” Fiske said. “We have some pretty big expectations for her. We were grateful that [co-owner Mike] Levinson let us partner up with her. We bought a few other yearlings last year and since he had Echo Town, he asked about her. We looked at her and got her as well.”

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will retain the mount from post 3.

While Echo Zulu attempts to rise to the occasion, Pretty Birdie will seek a second graded stakes triumph for trainer Norm Casse.

The Marylou Whitney Stables-owned daughter of Bird Song has led at every point of call in two starts. After a runaway debut victory on June 18 at Churchill Downs, she captured the Grade 3 Schuylerville on July 15 at Saratoga by two lengths.

Jockey Luis Saez will return aboard Pretty Birdie from post 5.

An impressive 2 ¼-length score on debut at 36-1 odds has given trainer Robertino Diodoro confidence that Dream Lith can step up to Grade 1 company.

The dark bay or brown daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, owned by Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith, broke her maiden on August 8 going 6 ½ furlongs at the Spa. She tracked a close fourth in the clear down the backstretch before making her move in between horses in upper stretch and taking command at the eighth pole.

Despite always having high hopes in Dream Lith, Diodoro said the first-out success was a bit of a surprise.

“We're really excited about her,” Diodoro said. “She wasn't supposed to do what she did that day, not because of ability, we knew she had that. We thought it would take two turns for her to break her maiden. I think even the extra furlong going into the Spinaway is going to help her even more. She's awesome. Sometimes, you see a maiden win first out. Maybe she was more ready than the other horses, but this filly is the real deal.”

Diodoro added that Dream Lith bounced out of her maiden score exceptionally well.

“Some horses that break their maiden first out, you have to ease off. But she just came back like a pro,” Diodoro said. “She's giving us all the signs that she's the real deal.”

Jockey David Cohen retains the mount from post 7.

Tarabi is also seeking a breakthrough victory following an impressive debut maiden win on August 7 at Ellis Park.

In her six-furlong maiden score, the chestnut daughter of First Samurai maintained her inside position down the backstretch, inched her way to the front under no urging and was never in doubt in the stretch, winning by 5 ½ lengths.

Owned by LBD Stable, Manganaro Bloodstock and David Ingordo, Tarabi is out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Bay, making her a full-sister to Shivaji, a Group 3 winner in Japan.

“As an early 2-year-old she was very forward and never had a bad day on the track,” said trainer Cherie DeVaux. “She's very straightforward and mature mentally. She showed a lot of talent in the morning and the plan was always to run her at Ellis and if she ran to our expectations, to give her a shot in the Spinaway.”

Tarabi has breezed twice at Saratoga following her maiden victory.

“She's adjusted really well,” DeVaux said. “She continues to train well. She's grown, matured and progressed physically. She's had one easy work over the track and one where we asked a bit more of her and she handled it really well and got over the track really well. She's come out of it in good shape.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, a two-time Spinaway victor, will ride Tarabi from post 1.

Completing the field are Girl With a Dream [post 2, Florent Geroux], Benbang [post 4, Manny Franco], Saucy Lady T [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Sequist [post 8, Junior Alvarado], Sue Ellen Mishkin [post 9, Jose Ortiz],

The prestigious race is named in honor of George Lorillard's talented chestnut who won seven of her nine starts, including stakes wins at the defunct Jerome Park and Sheepshead Bay Park. Successful in her career as a broodmare, Spinaway was the granddam of Tanya, who won her grandmother's namesake race in 1904 before defeating colts in the Belmont Stakes the following year. Other prominent descendants of Spinaway include multiple champion producing stallion Giant's Causeway, prolific broodmare Hasili and European champion Gleneagles.

The Spinaway is slated as Race 11 on Sunday's 12-race program, which offers a first post of 12:35 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Whitney Third Silver State Could Target Kelso Or Woodward

Following a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney, Silver State is scheduled to have his next start at Belmont Park, but which race he enters is still unknown said David Fiske manager and bloodstock adviser for Winchell Thoroughbreds, who own Silver State in partnership with Willis Horton Racing.

Fiske said the one-mile Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso on Sept. 25 or the nine-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward on Oct. 2 are the two most likely options for the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun.

Silver State, trained by Hall of Fame Steve Asmussen, arrived at the Whitney on a six-race win streak, including three stakes triumphs at Oaklawn Park as well as a victory in the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 5 at Belmont.

“He's doing great,” Fiske said. “He's been remarkably sound all year.”

Fiske said plans for Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon are still in flux after a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers.

Options for the son of Tiznow could include training up to the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, or bypassing the Classic to target races like the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.

“He put in a pretty big effort in the Travers, so we'll see how he bounces out of it,” Fiske said.

Fiske also reported that Grade 2 Adirondack-winner Wicked Halo is getting some rest and could target something toward the end of the year. The daughter of leading first crop sire Gun Runner won the Adirondack in wire-to-wire fashion by 3 ½ lengths. Her dam Just Wicked won the Adirondack in 2015.

“She's taking a little break. After the Adirondack we decided to just give her some time and get her ready for the later part of the year,” Fiske said. “Steve's relying on his experience with her mother, and he felt that he might have rushed her a little bit, so he didn't want to make the same mistake.”

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‘Late Bloomer’ Starship Nterprise Headlines Gulfstream’s Miss Gracie

Fresh off a stakes victory with Choose Joy in Sunday's Village of Biscayne Park, owner/trainer Steve Dwoskin is hoping that Starship Nterprise can take him back in the Gulfstream Park winner's circle in Saturday's $75,000 Miss Gracie, a 7 ½-furlong turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

The daughter of Honor Code, who had gone winless in her first eight starts, has emerged as a very promising stakes performer during the Spring/Summer Meet in her last three starts.

“She's a lot like Choose Joy,” said Dwoskin, who owns Starship Nterprise with long-time client Starship Stables. “She's also a late bloomer.”

Unlike Choose Joy, strictly a turf sprinter, Starship Nterprise has done her best running going long, both on turf and dirt.

Starship Enterprise was on the board in five of her first eight starts but didn't break through until winning a $50,000 maiden claiming race at a mile on turf May 23 at Gulfstream. The Kentucky-bred 3-year-old filly came right back to pull off a 33-1 upset victory in the Martha Washington at a mile on turf. She went on to show versatility in the off-the-turf Monroe, a mile stakes in which she led late before falling a neck short of holding off Key Biscayne, who's been competitive in Grade 1 and 2 races.

“I ran her in a claimer for $50,000 and she got her confidence there,” Dwoskin said. “She's working excellent. She worked Saturday very good, and we expect her to run good. She's ready to run.”

Miguel Vasquez, who was victorious aboard Starship Nterprise in the Martha Washington the only time he has ridden her, has the call Saturday.

Karl and Cathi Glassman's Restofthestory is entered to make her turf debut in the Miss Gracie after finishing first, second or third, in seven of eight career starts on dirt. The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained daughter of Jess's Dream, who finished second in the $400,000 FSS My Dear Girl last year, is coming off a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Azalea.

Hector Berrios has the mount on the Florida-bred filly.

Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is represented by three entrants in the Miss Gracie field – Peachtree Stable's Champagne Ivy, Sayjay Racing LLC and Greg Hall's Cultured, and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Tik Tok Famous.

Champagne Ivy, who finished fifth in the Martha Washington, is coming off an Aug. 6 maiden special weight score at a mile on turf; Cultured will be making her first start since finishing off the board behind Grade 1 winner Con Lima in the May 1 Honey Ryder; Tik Tok Famous finished eighth in the Martha Washington following a slow start.

Edgard Zayas, Edwin Gonzalez and Emisael Jaramillo will ride Champagne Ivy, Cultured and Tik Tok Famous, respectively.

Philip DiCosmo's Sunshine City, Stephen Screnci's Kate's Kingdom and Clap Embroidery's Frankie's Girl round out the field.

Saturday's 12-race program has a 12:20 p.m. first race post and includes six races scheduled on the turf.

Racing returns to Gulfstream Friday with a guaranteed pool in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 of $600,000.

The Rainbow 6 kicks off with the fifth race, a claiming event for 3-year-olds and up at a mile on the main track. The sequence will include three turf races, a maiden special weight event at six furlongs for 2-year-old fillies, and a $62,500 allowance optional claimer at six furlongs featuring 2020 Gotham (G3) runner-up Untitled, Hutcheson winner Willy Boi, third-place Nashua (G3) finisher Isolate, and Challenger (G3) winner Trophy Chaser, making his first start in 16 months.

First race post is 2 p.m.

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O’Conner Has High Expectations For 2-Year-Old You Look Cold In Monday’s Sorority

There's a unique sense of excitement that consumes even the most grizzled of trainers when they have a promising young horse just starting out. Or, as veteran conditioner Rob O'Connor II put it: “Nobody ever dies when they have a good 2-year-old.”

O'Connor hopes to know Monday if he does indeed have a good one in You Look Cold, sending her out in the $200,000 Sorority Stakes for 2-year-old fillies that will serve as the feature race on the Labor Day card at Monmouth Park.

The early indications have already caused some giddiness: You Look Cold, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Frosted-Lucky Draw by Lookin at Lucky, ran off the screen in her debut on Aug. 7, cruising to a 6½-length victory in Maiden Special Weight company at Monmouth Park.

Now comes the next step and next test.

“It's always ambitious when you go from breaking your maiden to a stakes race,” said O'Connor. “But most everybody is in the same situation.

“In her first start we actually thought she was the horse to beat (You Look Cold won at odds of 6-1). She has shown a lot of potential. We're very excited about her. She's got the look, she's got the temperament and she does everything right.”

Owned by Kinsman Stable and FLI Racing, You Look Cold faces the added challenge of going two turns for the first time in the 66th edition of the one-mile Sorority after winning her debut at six furlongs.

The 62-year-old O'Connor, who has been training since 1985, isn't overly concerned about the added distance, calling it part of the growth process.

“If you look at her training format going into the race she has shown some speed in all of her works,” O'Connor said. “I've really tried to back up on her and get her to relax. So we've tried to concentrate on that.

“We haven't put any real speed works into her. With that being said, her fitness is not in question. She is plenty fit.”

O'Connor said the Sorority Stakes became an appealing option as the next race in part because You Look Cold is stabled at Monmouth Park.

“Mrs. Jessica Steinbrenner and her group, along with Christian Black, are the owners of the horse. We talked about moving forward and what our options would be,” said O'Connor. “They want to give her the opportunity to be a good horse.

“Saratoga was a possibility. We discussed it and felt it was in the best interests of her development to let them come to our home track and she could walk out of her stall and race. We felt it would be an advantage to us.”

O'Connor, who has been based at Monmouth Park the past three years, is keeping his plans short-term for You Look Cold, waiting to see how she responds to her next challenge on Monday.

“She thinks she's a pretty good horse and she acts like a good one,” he said. “Every horse in the race is really going into new territory, so we'll see how it plays out. But I can tell you we're very excited about her potential.”

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