Sharp from an outside gate, Echo Zulu went out in the search of the early lead but had to contend with an equally speedy Fire On Time (Not This Time) on her outer flank. The pair quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field while working through quick early fractions of :21.75 and :44.62. Neither mare giving an inch around the far turn, Echo Zulu found herself briefly on the back foot as Fire On Time stuck a head in front with a quarter-mile to run. But Echo Zulu responded in kind to a shake of the reins from Florent Geroux, drew alongside her rival, and went on right on past, contesting the final furlong alone and hitting the wire clear by daylight while geared down.

“I'm very grateful for the owners of this very talented filly [L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds] and [trainer] Steve Asmussen,” said the winning jockey. “She broke really well today and took herself right to the front. We had some pressure on her outside but she was traveling very comfortably the entire race.”

Pedigree Notes:

Part of the wildly successful first crop of Breeders' Cup champion and Horse of the Year Gun Runner, Echo Zulu is a daughter of GII Stonerside Forward Gal winner Letgomyecho, the dam of no fewer than eight other winners including GISW 'TDN Rising Star' and sire Echo Town (Speightstown), GSW J Boys Echo (Mineshaft), and GSP Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song). Letgomyecho herself is a half-sister to the dams of GIII Ohio Derby victor Dean Martini (Cairo Prince), GSW Western Smoke (Smoke Glacken) and GISP One Lucky Dane (Lookin At Lucky). Echo Zulu's youngest sibling, the now 3-year-old Doing Justice (American Pharoah), brought a final bid of $1.4 million from Northshore Bloodstock at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale.

Monday, Churchill Downs
WINNING COLORS S.-GIII, $223,250, Churchill Downs, 5-29, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:08.99, ft.
1–ECHO ZULU, 118, f, 4, by Gun Runner
           1st Dam: Letgomyecho (GSW, $136,200), by Menifee
           2nd Dam: Echo Echo Echo, by Eastern Echo
           3rd Dam: Kashie West, by Sir Ivor
($300,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-L and N Racing LLC and Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Betz/J. Betz/Burns/ CHNNHK/Magers/CoCo Equine/Ramsby (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Florent Geroux. $139,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly, MGISW, 9-7-1-0, $2,255,375. *1/2 to Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song), GSP, $253,478; J Boys Echo (Mineshaft), GSW, $377,543; and Echo Town (Speightstown), GISW, $410,020. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fire On Time, 118, m, 5, Not This Time–Sapphire Spitfire, by Awesome Again. ($95,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Jorge S. Wagner (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $45,000.
3–Last Leaf, 118, f, 4, Not This Time–My Miss Kallie, by Paddy O'Prado. ($7,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $10,000 Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $23,500 Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O-Monarch Stables, Inc.; B-Khalid Mishref Alkahtani (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally. $22,500.
Margins: 5 3/4, 1, HD. Odds: 0.31, 7.62, 7.55.
Also Ran: Spirit Wind, Marissa's Lady. Scratched: Scarlet Stripe.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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