Echo Zulu Dazzles in Juvenile Fillies, Pizza Bianca Delivers Emotional Win for Flay, Clement

After watching Echo Zulu ship one of the vital dominating victories in Breeders’ Cup historical past, co-owner Lee Levinson looked for phrases to sum up the sensation.

“I’m an lawyer; I communicate for a residing and I can’t speak,” Levinson stated.

What Levinson simply watched had loads of long-time racing followers and contributors additionally looking for phrases. With out being requested by jockey Joel Rosario, Echo Zulu drew off within the far activate her method to a 5 1/4-length victory within the $2 million NetJets Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

The ‘Echo’ victory adopted the noise made by her sire Gun Runner 4 years in the past at Del Mar, when he nailed down Horse of the 12 months honors with a 2 1/4-length victory within the Breeders’ Cup Basic. Within the second version of the Breeders’ Cup on the Southern California seaside observe, Echo Zulu — from the primary crop of Gun Runner— wrapped up a divisional Eclipse Award when she accomplished 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.24 on a quick observe.

Echo Zulu is campaigned by L & N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds, the latter of which campaigned Gun Runner with Three Chimneys Farm. In addition to Levinson, Tulsa, Okla.-based L & N Racing additionally consists of his sons Andy and Michael in addition to pal Don Nelson.

“She means a lot to us and the truth that she is from the primary crop of Gun Runner, every thing that he did for us, it’s surreal that we’re again right here at Del Mar for the second Breeders’ Cup when his crowning second was the Breeders’ Cup right here in 2017,” stated Racing Corridor of Fame coach Steve Asmussen, who conditioned Gun Runner and now trains Echo Zulu. “She’s simply achieved every thing proper from the primary time we acquired her. And for her to win in such an authoritative style in such a wonderful time stands for a real champion.”

This 12 months’s Juvenile Fillies noticed simply six starters with Echo Zulu ranging from the surface publish. Any concern about getting caught large on the primary flip was shortly erased when she bounced from the beginning gate below Rosario to shortly set up a transparent lead. Pocahontas Stakes winner Hidden Connection didn’t fare in addition to she stumbled only a bit out of the gate and raced fifth into the primary flip.

Echo Zulu, the 4-5 favourite, loved a transparent benefit by way of each level of name, effectively inside herself as she cruised by way of a quarter-mile in :23.42 and a half-mile in :47.01 as Tarabi and Juju’s Map collectively pursued. On the far flip, jockeys Javier Castellano, aboard Tarabi, and Florent Geroux, on Juju’s Map, requested their fillies for his or her finest to no avail. Echo Zulu solely added to her benefit — with out being requested.

Lastly requested by Rosario, Echo Zulu would open up 3 1/2 lengths in early stretch and solely construct on that benefit to the wire. Juju’s Map would end second, edging Tarabi by a half-length. 

Co-owner Ron Winchell famous that Echo Zulu grew to become Gun Runner’s first Grade 1 winner along with her victory within the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, adopted with a Grade 1 rating within the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park, and now offers the younger sire a Breeders’ Cup winner from his first crop. Winchell marveled on the accomplishment.

“It’s unimaginable,” Winchell stated. “It’s one thing you all the time dream about when you’ve got a horse like Gun Runner, and a primary crop getting going with what might be a champion 2-year-old filly. For us to truly personal the filly, after what we did with Gun Runner, like Steve was saying, it simply makes it that rather more particular.”

Pizza Bianca Delivers in Juvenile Fillies Turf

It’s not as if the man hasn’t been making an attempt. Christophe Clement, the Ernie Banks of the Breeders’ Cup, entered the 2021 championship with an enormous, fats 0-for-40 round his neck, unfold over 24 years of comprehensible frustration. His credentials had been in any other case flawless, his popularity envious, and his Breeders’ Cup report, for all these losses, was hardly the stuff of abject failure.

Then once more, the timeline is brutal:

Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Gulfstream Park in 1999, Coretta takes the lead deep within the stretch and gained’t surrender, lastly shedding by three-quarters of a size to Hovering Softly.

Breeders’ Cup Mile, Belmont Park, 2001, Forbidden Apple opens up within the stretch however is caught within the last yards by Val Royal and finishes second.

Breeders’ Cup Basic, Santa Anita Park in 2009, Gio Ponti has every thing crushed and the wire in sight when the unbelievable occurs, and Zenyatta sweeps previous to interrupt Clement’s coronary heart.

TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile, Churchill Downs in 2010, Gio Ponti and Clement are again for extra punishment, this time ending second to the star European mare Goldikova.

Breeders’ Cup Mile, Santa Anita in 2013, Za Approval finds himself on the lead contained in the eighth pole with just one horse behind him making a severe run. Sadly, that horse is Wise Dan, who will get as much as beat Clement by three-quarters of a size.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Del Mar in 2017, Speeding Fall will get first run, however then right here comes Greatest Efficiency for Clement and Jose Ortiz. Will they get there? Nope, achieved in by the brief stretch, they’re second by three-quarters of a size.

It was the reminiscence of that race Clement should have been suppressing as Ortiz was snaking his manner by way of the heart of the sphere on Friday on this 12 months’s version of the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Destiny was being a tease as soon as once more. Pizza Bianca – bred, owned, and clearly named by Bobby Flay – appeared sure to hit the board, however what else was new? So did Disco Companion, Pure Sensation, and Flag Down for Clement, all banking good paydays however forgotten in time.

Then one thing miraculous occurred. A seam opened late, and Ortiz plunged the Fastnet Rock  filly by way of to a half-length victory over the fast-closing Malavath, who in flip beat the Chad Brown-trained Haughty by a neck for second.

Earlier than the race, as Clement waited for Pizza Bianca to reach on the Del Mar receiving barn, it was prompt that this one might be the one to strangle the albatross as soon as and for all, and that the coach ought to put together for a grand celebration if it ought to occur. Clement knew higher, although. Forty slaps with out a kiss will try this to a fellow. No matter occurs, he figured, “I’ll simply return to New York.”

He can float house now on the wings of the darkish bay filly who was a stable second in her earlier race, the Natalma Stakes at Woodbine.—Jay Hovdey

Fashionable Video games Wins Wild Version of Juvenile Turf

Godolphin’s Modern Games completed powerfully to win the $1 million Juvenile Turf Nov. 5 at Del Mar in a controversial race.

Earlier than the race Fashionable Video games was introduced as scratched after a gate incident with Albahr subsequent to him in publish 2. Fashionable Video games was then was allowed to run for purse cash solely. The son of Dubawi, who was the 9-5 favourite earlier than the scratch, surged by way of the stretch below William Buick to ship a transparent victory.

Educated by Charlie Appleby, Fashionable Video games accomplished the mile race for juvenile males in 1:34.72 on agency turf.

Because the would-be favourite, most of the followers in attendance had wagered on Fashionable Video games however they weren’t rewarded for his or her choice as he raced for the purse solely. They greeted the result with loud boos.

For betting functions, the winner was thought of to be Tiz the Bomb, who completed second. He was adopted by third-place Mackinnon.

The pre-race gate incident that finally affected the race’s two distinguished runners started with Albahr, additionally owned by Godolphin, who flipped within the beginning gate. Albahr was scratched forward of the race after an incident and jogged off with no main accidents. Fashionable Video games was effective and accredited by the vets to run though he raced for purse cash solely as he was introduced as scratched for a time. The incident prompted a few 17-minute delay.—Bob Ehalt

Twilight Gleaming Offers Ward Third Straight Juvenile Turf Dash Win

Coach Wesley Ward is quickly changing into the world’s professional in coaching 2-year-olds to dash on the turf. In solely 4 years of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Ward has gained the race thrice and completed second the one time he misplaced.

Twice the coach has gained the race with colts, and this time he did it with a filly within the $1 million race, although not the one most individuals had been anticipating. As a substitute of profitable with favored Averly Jane, Ward took it at Del Mar with Twilight Gleaming, the 5-1 second selection. Twilight Gleaming grew to become the primary filly to win the Juvenile Turf Dash.

Perhaps the correct mixture should additionally embody jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard Ward-trained winner Four Wheel Drive in 2019, Golden Pal in 2020, and now, Twilight Gleaming.

However credit score the filly as effectively, who acquired the leap on the remainder of the big subject, giving her a bonus that finally nobody might overcome.—Tracy Gantz