War Echo heralds return with DRF Distaff victory

War Echo was fearless in the DRF Distaff (Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts)

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ homebred WAR ECHO (Tapit) showed promise as a juvenile, but an
injury in February threw a wrench into the works and trainer Steve Asmussen had
to revise his original plans for the chestnut miss. She didn’t show much in her
September return in the Cat Chat S. at Belmont Park, running a well-beaten
fourth, but got back on the winning track in a November 19 allowance at
Churchill Downs.

On Saturday, War Echo announced her return to stakes action when drawing off
to a 4 3/4-length victory in the $96,000
Daily
Racing Form Distaff S. Shaun Bridgmohan allowed his mount to settle in
fourth during the early running as Why Wonder Why (Wild Wonder) and Fighter Wing
(Empire Maker) slugged it out on the front end through splits of :23, :47 2/5
and 1:13 1/5. War Echo angled toward the rail nearing the second turn and
scooted through the inside to take over entering the lane. From there, the
three-year-old lass merely extended her margin, easily rebuffing a challenge
from Unforgotten (Northern Afleet) to stop the clock in 1:52 1/5 for 1 1/8 miles
on the fast dirt.

She’s Our Annie asserted her superiority in the Esplanade (Hodges Photography/Alexander Barkoff)

With two wins now under girth, War Echo has earned $258,537 to go along with
her 8-4-0-1 career mark.

Destiny Oaks’ homebred SHE’S OUR ANNIE (Medaglia d’Oro) used her rail post
quite productively in the $60,000

Esplanade S., shooting to the lead and never relinquishing the advantage
throughout the 5 1/2-furlong test. Jockey Jon Court merely had to stay aboard
the Jinks Fires charge as she powered home a 2 1/2-length winner in a final time
of 1:03 4/5. She’s Our Annie has dropped just one start from six career starts
now, with that coming as a third in her debut on January 16 at Oaklawn Park.
Since then, the bay three-year-old captured her maiden by three lengths, an
allowance/optional claimer by six lengths and the Prima Donna S. by 2 1/2
lengths, all at Oaklawn Park. She’s Our Annie took a near eight-month break
before returning to annex the Dream Supreme S. at Churchill Downs on November 7,
and this one boosted her bankroll to $142,080. The even-money favorite returned
$4.20, $3 and $2.20.

Cool Bullet kept his cool while taking the Sugar Bowl (Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts)

Winmore LLC et al’s COOL BULLET (Red Bullet) raced just off the early leader
for the opening quarter of the $60,000
Sugar
Bowl S., put in his bid rounding the turn under Brian Hernandez Jr., grabbed
the advantage and just had enough to to score the head victory. Trained by Steve
Margolis, the juvenile gelding ran six furlongs in 1:10 4/5 to
begin the stakes action on Santa Super Saturday. Cool Bullet was making his
stakes bow in this spot off a 6 1/4-length maiden claiming win on November 14.
The chestnut more than doubled his earnings to $58,880 and improved his line to
4-2-1-0 as the 6-1 fifth pick in the seven-horse field. He paid $14.80, $6.20
and $4.20.