Near Perfect Echo Sound Looks to Add Another Notch to Her Belt in the Victory Ride

Gabriel Duignan's Echo Sound (Echo Town) might not be perfect but she's pretty darn close. The winner in her latest start in the GIII Miss Preakness Stakes will try to make it back-to-back graded wins for trainer Rusty Arnold in Saratoga's opening day feature, the GIII Victory Ride Stakes.

According to Arnold, a win in the 6 1/2-furlong test for sophomore fillies would be special for more reasons than simply its placement on the calendar.

“We've targeted this race because of the distance, and it's also a special race to me since I trained Victory Ride,” Arnold said. “It would be nice to win. You don't get many chances where you get to run in a race named after something you had. It's a great opportunity and I can't wait to give it a try.”

A winner in her career debut at Ellis Park last summer, the bay won her next two–an optional claimer at Churchill Downs in September followed by a score in Keeneland's Myrtlewood Stakes in October. Situated a little farther off the pace than usual in Churchill's 6 1/2-furlong Fern Creek Nov. 30, the half-sister to GSW Pick of the Litter (Kitten's Joy) came up 2 1/2-lengths short of Impulse Buy (Speightstown), while finishing a neck ahead of favored Shisospicy (Mitole), who won three of four subsequent starts including the GIII Mamzelle at Churchill.

“She's doing very well. She doesn't have a bad race, and what I like about her is she has won at Ellis Park, Keeneland, Churchill and Pimlico,” Arnold explained. “In five starts, she's won at four different racetracks, so she doesn't need to be on her favorite track.”

He added, “We thought she was nice, but you never know until they run. She did everything right, she's a big strong filly, and she hasn't done anything wrong since Day 1. All her races have been good. We're taking a step up in competition and we'll see what we have.”

Asked about tactics for her first start in New York, Arnold said, “I think I'll leave it to Luis [Saez]. She'll lay right off horses, and I don't think she's ever going to be way back, but she'll lay off of them and if there isn't a ton of speed, she has no problem being there. It's a very good thing for her.”