4-Year-Old Filly With More Than $2,000,000 in Career Earnings Stuns Equestrian Community After Storming to Victory in G2 Saratoga Race

There is always an up-and-coming star in the world of horse racing. It is usually considered that thoroughbred horses who race on the Flat reach their peak when they are around 4-5 years old. This particular horse has just proved the veracity of this statement by dominating a Grade 2 race at a popular equestrian event in Saratoga by a huge margin. The horse, named Echo Zulu, stormed to victory and left her competitors 7 1/4 lengths behind in the dust.

What they say is right, history does repeat itself. This is not the first winning stint that Echo Zulu has had at the Saratoga Race Course. The horse started her championship campaign way back in 2021 at the same venue. Call it luck, or plain simple talent, but it seems like Echo Zulu and Saratoga go well together. During the race, the 4-year-old filly was able to defeat horses younger than her, aged 3 years or less.

Filly makes a comeback at a prestigious equestrian event

The 4-year-old thoroughbred managed to win the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga on Wednesday. After winning this particular race, the crowd favorite Echo Zulu collected a sum of $110,000, and that put her career earnings up to a total of $2,365,375. The horse, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and L and N Racing, was ridden by jockey Florent Geroux. The equestrian wonder was able to defeat Mr. B, who came in second, and she did so in enough style to impress her rider.

According to a report by BloodHorse, her rider Geroux said, “She is really fast. It was very easy.” Her equestrian Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen was also full of praises for the 4-year-old filly. He said, “She broke well. Very comfortable and very fast!” during the race, her major competition was considered to be Frank’s Rockette, owned by the Frank Fletcher Racing Operation. However, Echo Zulu was able to conquer her competition without breaking a sweat. Geroux could not stop praising the high capabilities of the horse he rode.

Read more: Despite 46–1 Odds, Yo-Yo Candy Strikes It Rich With $98,000 Payout in a “Dream Come True” Moment at Saratoga Race Course

He said, “She had a nice rhythm at the three-eighths and she was just waiting for my cue down the lane. As soon as I pushed the gas, she responded right away.” Asmussen also attributed her amazing talent to her progeny. According to him, the horses born from Gun Runner age like a fine wine, getting faster as they grow older. Asmussen applied simple logic to her win, “I think it’s that simple: she’s extremely fast. She’s doing it quicker than they are.” The famous jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was also full of praise for the filly that defeated his horse.

A legacy of stunning wins

Born from the famous stallion Gun Runner, it is no surprise that Echo Zulu is a great winner. Her father is the best of pedigree and has himself been the winner of several G1, G2, and G3 races. Echo Zulu herself has been making waves since her debut race. She won the first race of her career by 5 1/2 lengths on July 15, 2021. After that, she won the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes by four lengths. Her four-for-four performance during her championship season earned her the prestigious Eclipse Award.

She was scratched out of Grade 1 Acorn due to her lameness as a 3-year-old. However, that fall she made a major comeback to win Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs. Saratoga will see the filly once again, at the Grade 1 $500,000 Ballerina Handicap, and the stakes will be higher, pun intended. But if her previous wins are any indication, she will be able to handle it.

Watch This Story: Longtime Billion-Dollar Sponsor Ends 40-Year Support of International Equestrian Event