Echo Zulu

Most of the heavyweights when it comes to the leading contenders for the GI Kentucky Oaks have yet to surface in 2022, but that doesn't mean that there hasn't been any activity. Kathleen O. (Upstart) looked like a filly with unlimited potential when winning the Jan. 1 Cash Run S. at Gulfstream for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and fellow Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen looks to have another top prospect in La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro). A half-sister to Grade I winner Clairiere (Curlin), she won last Saturday's Silverbulletday...

Knicks Go (Paynter) was one of a dozen winners at the 2021 Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar in early November to be named Eclipse Award finalists, as the candidates in 11 equine and five human categories were announced Saturday morning on TVG. While the finalists for 2021 were not revealed--they will be announced at the conclusion of the Eclipse Award ceremony at Santa Anita Feb. 10--it is a fait accompli that Knicks Go will take home the evening's most coveted award. The grey, winner of the 2020 GI Breeders'...

Express Train (Union Rags), slated to contest Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, was scratched the morning of the race because of swelling in his hind right hock. "He was schooling in the paddock three days ago and he got a little playful, jumping around and kicked himself," trainer John Shirreffs said. "He'll be fine with a little more time and we plan on running him next year." Also withdrawn Saturday morning, Lael Stable's Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile) was forced to miss Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint....

DEL MAR, CA - The best thing about Steve Asmussen's record-breaking 2021 season? The Hall of Famer may want to wait until the weekend is up to answer that. In a year that has included passing Dale Baird to become the winningest North American trainer of all time, an emotional GI Arkansas Derby victory for his parents with Super Stock (Dialed In) and five top-level wins at the prestigious Saratoga meeting, including three from the first crop of a former barn superstar, Asmussen heads into the Breeders' Cup World Championships...

DEL MAR, CA - Leading older horse Knicks Go (Paynter) received the nod at 5-2 on the morning-line for Saturday's $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic as a field of nine was drawn during Monday's Rood & Riddle Breeders' Cup Post-Position Draw held in the Del Mar paddock. The speedy 2021 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and GI Whitney S. winner, hero of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland, will be on the engine from post five in this first attempt at the 1 1/4-mile Classic distance....

There have been other impressive performances turned in by 2-year-old fillies in recent weeks (namely Hidden Connection {Connect}  in the GIII Pocahontas S. and Ain't Easy {Into Mischief} in the GII FrontRunner S.), but 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) reaffirmed her spot at the top of the division Sunday as she blew away her competition in Belmont's GI Frizette S., a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 at Del Mar. The L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer was...

Undefeated Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) looks to maintain her position at the top of her division as the headliner in Sunday's GI Frizette S. at Belmont, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar next month. The bay earned the 'TDN Rising Star' nod and a 92 Beyer Speed Figure for her impressive 5 1/2-length graduation on debut going 5 1/2 panels at Saratoga July 15. She became the first top-level scorer for her leading freshman sire next out when running the field...

by Jessica Martini, Brian DiDonato & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, led by a trio of million-dollar yearlings, opened with a day of steady trade in Lexington Monday. A total of 95 yearlings sold during the session for $38,172,000, at an average of $401,811 and a median of $325,000. "I think the trade was really strong," Keeneland's new vice president of sales Tony Lacy said at the close of business Monday. "The numbers may have stacked very comparably to last year, but I think there...

Bidding on behalf of owner Joe Allen, Alan Quartucci was extended to $1.4 million for an American Pharoah half-sister to Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Stars' Echo Town (Speightstown) and recent Spinaway S. heroine Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) to lead the early returns during Monday's opening session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington. Hip 43 is a daughter of GSW Letgomyecho (Menifee), whose eight winners from 10 to the races also includes Grade III-winning sophomore J Boys Echo (Mineshaft), GSP Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song) and SP Dragic (Broken Vow)....

Three yearlings in the Keeneland September Sale catalogue received big updates over the weekend when their year-older siblings captured Grade Is at two of America's premiere race meets over the holiday weekend. GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity S. winner Pinehurst's (Twirling Candy) yearling half-brother by Cairo Prince sold prior to the juvenile's breakout score, bringing $120,000 from pinhooker Randy Bradshaw at Fasig-Tipton's New York-Bred Yearling Sale in mid-August. However, the winners of the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante S., GI Spinaway S. and GI Hopeful S. will be represented by...

Two sons of Candy Ride (Arg)--Gun Runner and Twirling Candy--were represented by three 2-year-old Grade l winners over the weekend, and do you know one thing they had in common? Each was produced by a Storm Cat-line mare. This affinity for the Storm Cat line was also an important feature of Candy Ride's own success, and breeders appear to be copying that formula with his sons. It's not surprising; it's something that usually happens when a stallion is successful with the females of another sire line, and this type of...

Early in the Saratoga meeting, Steve Asmussen broke the all-time record of number of winners for a North American trainer. It was a remarkable achievement in a remarkable career, and comes at the age of just 55 years old. It turns out he was just warming up. In a remarkable closing rush to the meeting, Asmussen won nine Grade I races in five days, including one a day in each of the last three days of the week when he sent out Echo Zulu to win the Spinaway, Gunite to...