Echo Sound doubles up on graded scores in G3 Victory Ride

Gabriel Duignan’s Echo Sound powered home a 4 1/4-length winner in Thursday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies to kick off the July 4th Racing Festival stakes action, at Saratoga Race Course.

The win was a special one for Echo Sound’s trainer Rusty Arnold, who conditioned Victory Ride through a 9-5-1-2 record that included a score in the 2001 Grade 1 Test here over eventual Hall of Famer Xtra Heat.

“She was the fastest horse I ever had, so to win a race they named after you, it’s a good feeling,” Arnold said.

Echo Sound will now make Saratoga her home base as she looks to stretch out another half-furlong and replicate Victory Ride’s famous score when she takes on the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster on August 2 here.

“She took the six and a half well, so not a big difference. Somewhat different, but I think she’ll take to it,” Arnold said.

Echo Sound broke to the lead from post 3-of-4 under Luis Saez before settling to track the early foot of Hollygrove through a half-mile in 44.85 seconds over the fast main track with Beauty Reigns saving ground in third to the inside of last-out Jersey Girl-winner Indy Bay.

Saez gave Echo Sound her cue into the turn and the filly responded in kind to overtake the pacesetter and open up a 1 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call. The daughter of Echo Town separated from the field down the lane under a strong hand ride and surged through the wire to win in a final time of 1:15.49.

Beauty Reigns tipped off the rail and closed to complete the exacta by 4 3/4-lengths over Indy Bay with Hollygrove rounding out the order of finish. Whatintheliteral, who was a vet scratch after she flipped in the paddock, walked back to the barn area under own power.

“She always breaks so well. Today, she broke on top, but we always wait to follow somebody, and she settled perfectly,” Saez said. “When we came to the three-eighths, I had a lot of horse. Came to the top of the stretch, she was in cruise control.”

Echo Sound won 3-of-4 starts as a 2-year-old, taking the Myrtlewood in October at Keeneland before a runner-up effort in the Fern Creek in November at Churchill Downs to close out her campaign. She returned a winner in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 16 at Pimlico Race Course, driving clear to a two-length score that earned a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

Arnold said Echo Sound has shown improvement with each start.

“The race was tougher I think today, and she took a step forward – so, very, very happy,” Arnold said. “She was a pretty good 2-year-old. She got beat once and the reason she got beat [was] she had a little issue. We turned her out, gave her the winter off, and I think she has taken a couple steps forward. We’re going to need one more step forward for the next one.”

Duignan, who bred Echo Sound in Kentucky at his Springhouse Farm along with Vision TBs, Bruce Pieratt and Patricia Pieratt, said he was pleased with the way the filly stepped up in her Spa debut.

“I was confident, but she was up against good fillies, and it was Saratoga,” Duignan said. “I think she has won on five different tracks now, but you never know. You are never overconfident, but we were hoping for a good run. That was a bit better than we expected.

“I just thought, though she has had a great career so far and she’s been so consistent, today was her best race,” he added. “She is getting better every run. When I saw [the splits], I said we aren’t going to be able to stay up there, but Saez just had loads of horse at the end.”

Echo Sound banked $96,250 in victory while improving her record to 6-5-1-0. She returned $5 for a $2 win bet. Echo Sound, a half-sister to Grade 2-winner Pick of the Litter, is out of the late Fusaichi Pegasus mare Eagle Sound – a half-sister to Grade 2-winner Wild Syn.

Live racing will resume Friday at the July 4th Racing Festival with an 11-race Independence Day card headlined by the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational in Race 9. A stacked program includes the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban presented by Subourbon in Race 10, the Grade 3, $200,000 Manila in Race 8; the Listed $150,000 Harvey Pack in Race 11; and the Listed $150,000 Schuylerville in Race 2. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Statistics for the 37-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet will include the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the July 4th Racing Festival. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.