GULFSTREAM J Boys Echo possible for Florida Derby

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The prospective field for the $1 million Florida Derby got a little more interesting Sunday when trainer Dale Romans said he has not ruled out running Gotham Stakes winner J Boys Echo in the important Kentucky Derby prep here April 1.

J Boys Echo exploded to an easy 3 1/2-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Gotham while earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Romans originally was targeting the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 8 for the hors e’s final Derby prep but has reevaluated that position, leaving open the possibility of running J Boys Echo in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Although he has never raced at Gulfstream Park, J Boys Echo has been stabled locally this winter. He breezed an easy four furlongs here in 52.45 seconds last Saturday.

Romans sent out Brody’s Cause and Cherry Wine to finish first and third in the 2016 Blue Grass. Like Brody’s Cause, J Boys Echo is owned by the Albaugh family.

“With J Boy, we kind of had tunnel vision for the Blue Grass because it’s worked several times for us in the past,” Romans said. “But now that we’ve talked about it a little more, it’s in our best interests to keep all the preps on the table. One luxury we have with him is that he’s already got enough points to get into the Derby, so we can kind of relax and choose what our best path is to get him there to win the race.”

While Romans was high on J Boys Echo coming into his 3-year-old campaign, he said the horse has surprised him with his progress this winter.

“He’s really turned into a good horse. He’s gotten even better than I thought he was,” Romans said. “Obviously, he’s not the best work horse when he goes solo, but as long as he’s moving well, like he was here the other morning, I’m happy.”

Romans has a second potential Florida Derby starter in Impressive Edge, who has won two of his three starts here this winter, including a seven-furlong allowance race by three lengths March 5.

“He’s scheduled to get on a plane for Kentucky on Wednesday to run in the Spiral,” Romans said, “and that’s probably where we’re going to go. He’s a good horse who acts like he wants to go two turns, and the way things are setting up this year, you need to keep a horse like this on the Derby trail. But we’re going to talk about it a little more before Wednesday, and there’s also a shot he could stay here, too [for the Florida Derby].”

◗ Nominations for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby closed Saturday but will not be released until later this week. Gunnevera and Three Rules, the first and third finishers in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, are confirmed for the race. Practical Joke, the runner-up in the Fountain of Youth, and the Todd Pletcher-trained pair of Battalion Runner and Always Dreaming also are being strongly considered.

Curlin’s Approval awaits Matron

Owner and breeder Happy Alter said that Grade 2 stakes winner Curlin’s Approval came out of her fifth-place finish as the odds-on favorite in Saturday’s Grade 2 Inside Information in good order, although he’s now scrapped plans to bring her back on the Kentucky Oaks undercard in the Grade 1 La Troienne.

“People say she bounced off her previous start, when she ran such a big race and a big number going two turns for the first time in the Royal Delta,” Alter said. “And I would agree with them if she hadn’t come out of this race so well. She’s been on her toes and hasn’t missed a grain of feed since she ran. It was like the race didn’t take anything out of her, and that’s the most important thing. She came back 100 percent sound.”

Alter theorized that cutting Curlin’s Approval back from 1 1/16 miles to seven furlongs might have been the main reason for her lackluster performance Saturday.

“I think going from a 24 opening quarter around two turns to 22 and change the other day, it was like pulling the rug out from under her,” he said. “That and the fact she got caught out very wide after the break. I’m not looking for excuses, I’m just saying I believe it was more that than her bouncing as to why she didn’t run up to expectations.”

Alter said he will skip the La Troienne to give Curlin’s Approval a little more time before bringing her back in the Grade 3 Matron at Churchill Downs on May 20.

“The plan is to keep her at two turns the rest of the year, but I wouldn’t want to run her back in a Grade 1 off this last race, so I’ll just give her the extra time and then send her for the Grade 3 at Churchill two weeks later,” he said.