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Echo Zulu Gearing Up for 2023 Campaign

L and N Racing LLC and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly of 2021, turned in her first recorded workout since finishing second in last year's GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint with a leisurely four-furlong work in :52.80 (11/11) at Fair Grounds Monday for trainer Steve Asmussen.

“Echo Zulu is traveling well, looking great, and ships to Kentucky this week,” said Winchell Thoroughbreds' general manager David Fiske.

Asked if any potential races had been picked out for the filly's return, Fiske said, “No real schedule or plan other than try to win another Eclipse Award.”

Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after her debut win at Saratoga in 2021, Echo Zulu went on to victories in the GI Spinaway S. and GI Frizette S. before cementing her championship title with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Her 2022 campaign opened well enough when she gutted out a narrow victory in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, but she suffered the first loss of her career when fourth behind Secret Oath (Arrogate) in the GI Kentucky Oaks.

Echo Zulu's year only got more convoluted when the 2-5 favorite was scratched by the state veterinarian behind the gate prior to the GI Acorn S. in June. She didn't make her next start until September when cutting back to seven furlongs she romped home in the GIII Dogwood S. at Churchill Downs. The bay filly was second behind champion Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) in the Breeders' Cup.

Echo Zulu, who was purchased for $300,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, is a daughter of graded-winner Letgomyecho (Menifee) and a half-sister to Grade I winner Echo Town (Speightstown) and to graded winner J Boys Echo (Mineshaft).

The filly's abbreviated sophomore campaign may have played a part in the decision to return her to the track as a 4-year-old, according to Fiske.

“There was no serious discussion to retire her last year,” Fiske said. “As you mentioned, her campaign was interrupted by the state vet in New York, so I think the feeling was that she had some unfinished business to tend to.”

Echo Zulu won from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles before turning back to sprinting in an effort to make last year's championship weekend.

“She is an elite talent and very fast and will probably continue to sprint for the time being,” Fiske said of tentative plans for Echo Zulu's 2023 campaign.

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Raise Cain Eyes Blue Grass, Mr. Swagger, Clear the Air Likely for Wood

Andrew Warren and Rania Warren's Raise Cain (Violence), who romped home in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S., will likely forego a return trip to Aqueduct and make his next start in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8, according to trainer Ben Colebrook.

Raise Cain had his first work since the Gotham when going four furlongs in :49.00 (1/3) at Keeneland Mar. 22.

“He's been training great and put on weight,” said Colebrook. “He'll breeze again [Thursday] at Keeneland. I think he really gets it now and now he's confident and feeling good. I think he's sitting on a big race wherever we go. It's exciting.”

Colebrook continued, “I don't think the Blue Grass will be a full field and it's one of those things where if we can run in our own backyard, it will take a strong reason for us to go to the Wood. But, it could still happen if something changes with defections and it's still on our radar. We're taking it day by day.”

Two horses who finished behind Raise Cain with troubled trips in the Gotham are expected to line up fo rthe Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial.

Victoria's Ranch's Mr. Swagger (Maclean's Music), sixth over a muddy and sealed main track in the Gotham, is expected to return to Aqueduct for the Wood.

A maiden winner in his 6 1/2-furlong debut at Aqueduct Jan. 28, the Juan Avila trainee was making just his second career start in the one-mile Gotham. He worked six furlongs in 1:19.47 (1/2) over a muddy Parx surface Saturday.

“He's perfect,” Avila said. “He went easy and strong and finished up very nice. We are ready for the Wood Memorial and I think he's ready for a nice race.”

Mr. Swagger, who added blinkers when exiting post three in the Gotham, was bumped at the break and prompted the pace from fourth position at the half-mile call, but failed to fire after saving ground through the turn.

“In the Gotham, I said to Carlos [Olivero] that I want to see Mr. Swagger be in last place, but he was much closer,” Avila said. “Hopefully, this time he can stay back.”

Avila said Mr. Swagger will keep the blinkers on for the Wood Memorial.

Also expected in the Wood Memorial line-up is Cypress Creek Equine's Clear the Air (Ransom the Moon), who maintained rail-skimming position from seventh in the Gotham before going four wide in upper stretch and checking around the three-sixteenths pole. He continued to find more down the lane and finished 10 3/4 lengths in arrears of the victorious Raise Cain.

“It wasn't really what we drew up on paper going into it,” trainer Will Walden admitted. “I know when you get a bunch of horses running around in the slop, it almost never goes according to plan. Raise Cain got some momentum. He went inside and we went outside. The hole we were going for closed at the three sixteenths. When you get fully stopped on a big horse, it can be hard to re-rally. But he started picking off horses and started to get going. But by that time, it was too late in the game. If he doesn't get stopped, I think he ends up second or third.”

A maiden winner going six furlongs at Turfway in January, Clear the Air was a troubled fourth in a one-mile optional claimer at Turfway Feb. 11 before his Gotham effort. He worked four furlongs in :48.00 (3/77) at Turfway Saturday.

“He's a big, long stretchy horse and he's very efficient,” Walden said. “The way he breezes and gallops out, he looks like a two-turn horse. He also did run two turns at Turfway going a mile. That was again a horrible trip. He never got out of cover until well inside the sixteenth pole. But the two turns that day never seemed to be an issue. He looked loaded the whole time.”

Walden said he expects to see continued improvement in his charge.

“He won't officially be a 3-year-old until May 5,” Walden said. “I've felt all along that this horse has all the talent in the world. I believe he has graded-stakes type of potential. I don't know exactly when the lightbulb will fully go off. He's still big and green, but if things go right for him, he can put it together. It wouldn't shock me if he went up there and ran really big.”

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Super Derby Returns in 2023

The Super Derby, which was put on hiatus in 2022, will return to the Louisiana Downs stakes schedule in 2023. The nine-furlong race for 3-year-olds will be run Sept. 2 and will be worth $200,000.

“We are looking forward to a great Thoroughbred season and the return of the Super Derby,” the track's racing operations/ racing secretary Matt Crawford said. “Of course, Louisiana Cup Day will return [Aug. 5] with purses of $75,000 for the six stakes for Louisiana-breds. In addition, we will debut the $50,000 Alabama S. [June 24] and the $50,000 Cotton State S. [Aug. 19].”

Now under its second year of operation under Rubico Acquisition Corporation, president and owner Kevin Preston said he and his team are committed to making improvements to both the racetrack and onsite casino.

“As you know, we have made significant changes to the track and have enhanced many of the areas, including adding over 100 new slot machines to the casino floor, opening up two new restaurant concepts, adding our sportsbook and freshening up all aspects of the race track,” said Preston. “This year we have added many special features of our live race broadcasts. As we move into 2023, we have a lot of additional changes happening for this upcoming racing season.”

The 2023 Thoroughbred racing season at Louisiana Downs kicks off May 6 and the 61-day live racing season will run through Sept. 12.

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Empirestrikesfast Added to Late Triple Crown Nominees

Pin Oak Stud's Empirestrikesfast (Empire Maker) has been added to the list of late Triple Crown nominations. The connections paid the $6,000 before Monday's deadline, but the colt's name was inadvertently omitted from the list of 12 others published Tuesday. Trained by Bill Mott, Empirestrikesfast broke his maiden in his first career start Mar. 11 at Gulfstream Park.

In total, there are now 382 sophomores eligible to compete in the Triple Crown series.

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