Echo Town

Long Weekend (Majesticperfection) just got his head down on the line to gamely defeat 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Town (Speightstown) in Saturday's $100,000 Bachelor S. at Oaklawn Park in a race that didn't deserve a loser. Last term's GI American Pharoah S. winner 'TDN Rising Star' Eight Rings (Empire Maker), off since a well-beaten sixth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, faded to fifth as the 4-5 favorite. Drawn widest of all in post six, Long Weekend shot out to the front and was greeted immediately by Echo Town...

Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Eight Rings (Empire Maker) makes his seasonal bow Saturday in Oaklawn's Bachelor S. An impressive debut winner at Del Mar Aug. 4, the $520,000 KEESEP buy ducked in sharply at the start of the GI Del Mar Futurity S. Sept. 2, bumping his neighbor and losing his rider. The dark bay returned with a decisive score in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Sept. 27 and could only manage sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Arcadia when last seen Nov. 1....

Sent off the lesser-preferred half of an uncoupled Steve Asmussen-trained entry at 13-1, Echo Town (Speightstown) was consigned to a three-wide, no-cover trip, but nonetheless went through his gears in a fast final quarter-mile to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star' in the Big Easy. Content to track from off the pace while monitoring the every move of his even-money stablemate Earner (Carpe Diem), a $425,000 Keeneland September graduate, Echo Town--himself a $100,000 purchase by the connections of GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky)--ranged up...