J Boys Echo

J BOYS ECHO (c, Mineshaft&log=">Mineshaft—Letgomyecho, by Menifee)

'TDN Rising Star' O-Albaugh Family Stable & Bobby Flay. B-Betz/Blackburn/J. Betz/Ramsby/CNHHHNK (KY). T-Dale L. Romans. Sales History: $485,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-2-1-1, $349,600.

Last Start: 15th, GI Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands., CD, May 6

Accomplishments Include: 1st, GIII Gotham S., AQU, Mar. 4

Equineline PPs, Caulfield on J Boys Echo

J Boys Echo has a lot to prove in the Belmont S. on Saturday. Beyond the question of actually winning the third leg of the Triple Crown, this 'TDN Rising Star' needs to demonstrate that he doesn't require ideal conditions to win against the top level of the 3-year-old division. That was the case in his most recent victory, the Gotham S. back in March, when J Boys Echo got an ultra-clean trip behind a total pace cave-in. Since then he was trounced by a maiden in the Blue Grass S. and was never truly in the hunt during any part of the Kentucky Derby. “If you watch the [Derby] replay and the head-on, everybody got pushed but he actually got slammed into,” said trainer Romans. “But he came back and he's trained well…. Last Saturday was the best work he's ever put in his life. It was the most energy he's showed and [Wednesday] he was bouncing and playing. The mile and a half should help him and hopefully we're going to see the best of him. He's got a good rhythm to the way he runs and I think that's important going that far.”