Echo Sound exits Victory Ride well; Test may be next

Echo Sound stormed 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 at Saratoga.

Trained by Rusty Arnold for Gabriel Duignan, the Echo Town bay pressed the pace through a half-mile in 44.85 seconds on the fast main track and separated from the field down the lane to surge through the wire to win in a final time of 1:15.49.

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The performance earned a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form. Arnold reported Echo Sound exited the strong showing in good order.

“She looks good. She came out of the race good,” said Arnold. “She’s good and healthy, and back in her feed good, with no issues. That was quite a performance. I thought she stepped up, she ran better; it was probably her best race and hopefully she is one on the improve because each race is going to be a little tougher.”

The logical next spot would be the $500,000 Test (G1), a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, on Aug. 2. Interestingly, Arnold trained Victory Ride through a 9: 5-1-2 record that included a score in the 2001 Test here over eventual Hall of Famer Xtra Heat.

“It would be hard not to go there if everything is good. If she comes back and trains well that would be where we would go,” Arnold said. “You don't know until you do it, but you would think seven furlongs is within her realm, so we will give it a try."

Echo Sound improved to 6: 5-1-0 with additional stakes scores in the Miss Preakness (G3) on May 16 at Pimlico Race Course and the Myrtlewood in October at Keeneland, as well as a runner-up effort in the Fern Creek in November at Churchill Downs.