After watching Echo Zulu deliver one of the most dominating victories in Breeders’ Cup history, co-owner Lee Levinson searched for words to sum up the feeling.
“I’m an attorney; I speak for a living and I can’t talk,” Levinson said.
What Levinson simply watched had loads of long-time racing followers and contributors additionally trying to find phrases. With out being requested by jockey Joel Rosario, Echo Zulu drew off within the far activate her technique to a 5 1/4-length victory within the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 5 at Del Mar.
The ‘Echo’ victory adopted the noise made by her sire Gun Runner four years ago at Del Mar, when he nailed down Horse of the Year honors with a 2 1/4-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). In the second edition of the Breeders’ Cup at the Southern California seaside track, Echo Zulu—from the first crop of Gun Runner—wrapped up a divisional Eclipse when she completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.24 on a fast track.
Echo Zulu is campaigned by L & N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds, the latter of which campaigned Gun Runner with Three Chimneys Farm. Besides Levinson, Tulsa, Okla.-based L & N Racing also includes his sons Andy and Michael as well as friend Don Nelson.
“She means a lot to us and the truth that she is from the primary crop of Gun Runner, every part that he did for us, it is 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,” mentioned Racing Corridor of Fame coach Steve Asmussen, who conditioned Gun Runner and now trains Echo Zulu. “She’s simply finished every part proper from the primary time we received her. And for her to win in such an authoritative trend in such a superb time stands for a real champion.”
This yr’s Juvenile Fillies noticed simply six starters with Echo Zulu ranging from the surface submit. Any concern about getting caught huge within the first flip was rapidly erased when she bounced from the gate underneath Rosario to rapidly set up a transparent lead. Pocahontas Stakes (G3) winner Hidden Connection , didn’t fare as well as she stumbled just a bit out of the gate and raced fifth into the first turn.
Echo Zulu, the 4-5 favorite, enjoyed a clear advantage through every point of call, well within herself as she cruised through a quarter-mile in :23.42 and a half-mile in :47.01 as Tarabi and Juju’s Map jointly pursued. In the far turn jockeys Javier Castellano, aboard Tarabi, and Florent Geroux, on Juju’s Map, asked their fillies for their best to no avail. Echo Zulu only added to her advantage—without being asked.
Finally asked by Rosario, Echo Zulu would open up 3 1/2 lengths in early stretch and only build on that advantage to the wire. Juju’s Map would finish second, edging Tarabi by a half-length. They were followed home by Hidden Connection, Sequist , and Desert Dawn .
Co-owner Ron Winchell noted that Echo Zulu became Gun Runner’s first grade 1 winner with her victory in the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, followed with a grade 1 score in 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 is unbelievable,” Winchell mentioned. “It is one thing you at all times dream about when you’ve got a horse like Gun Runner, and a primary crop getting going with what can be a champion 2-year-old filly. For us to really personal the filly, after what we did with Gun Runner, like Steve was saying, it simply makes it that rather more particular.”
Bred in Kentucky by Betz/J. Betz/Burns/CHNNHK/Magers/CoCo Equine/Ramsby, Echo Zulu is out of grade 2 winner Letgomyecho, by Menifee; who additionally has produced grade 1 winner Echo City (G1), grade 3 winner J Boys Echo, grade 3-placed Unbridled Outlaw, and stakes-placed Dragic.
Winchell Thoroughbreds bought Echo Zulu for $300,000 on the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling sale from the consignment of Betz Thoroughbreds.
Asmussen, who despatched out filly Rachel Alexandra to basic glory within the 200x Preakness Stakes (G1), did not wish to get too far forward of himself and speculate about taking up males subsequent spring. He mentioned she’ll get a break and the connections will assess the place she’s at. That mentioned, he has been evaluating her successes to all different 2-year-olds.
“She has run quicker than her male counterparts on the identical weekends, not precisely the identical days, however the next day, and she or he appears that method in our barn too,” Asmussen mentioned. “Not one of the boys need something to do together with her there both.
After the post-race press convention for the Juvenile Fillies wrapped up Friday at Del Mar, Asmussen turned to Levinson and informed the proprietor he quickly would want to place pen to paper. When Levinson supplied a little bit of a confused look, Asmussen adopted up with “so you will discover the phrases to your Eclipse Award speech.”
REPLAY: ECHO ZULU wins the $2 Million @NetJets #BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies on #FutureStarsFriday at @DelMarRacing! Congrats to the entire connections! @JRosarioJockey pic.twitter.com/V6PZ3fq9EG
— Breeders’ Cup (@BreedersCup) November 5, 2021
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