BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Third last out behind multiple graded stakes-winner Burnham Square and Dancin in Da’nile in the Grade 3 Louisville at Churchill Downs, Florida-bred Echo Lane remains under the twin spires Saturday night for another crack at those two in the $225,000 Chorleywood Stakes. Nine 3-year-olds and older will go a mile-and-three-eighths on the turf with Burnham Square the heavy morning line choice at 2-5.
Echo Lane has had considerable success in five career starts on the grass course at Churchill having won three with a second and a third. He won the last two runnings of the mile-and-a-sixteenth Claiming Crown Emerald starter allowance in 2024 and 2025 and a second tier, $80,000 optional claiming at nine furlongs in May of last year, all on the Churchill turf.
Since taking the $175,000 Claiming Crown Emerald in November, trainer Rohan Crichton been confident with the now 5-year-old son of Treasure Beach having seen him produce a second and two thirds in four starts on grass, three against graded stakes horses. In his two races preceding the Louisville, he was just a half-length off winner Grand Sonata in the mile-and-three-eighths Mac Diarmida presented by FanDuel TV (G2) in February and third in the mile-and-a-half Pan American presented by Rood & Riddle (G3) in March, both at Gulfstream Park. He started the year finishing fifth behind Neoequos in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf against Florida-breds at Gulfstream in January.
A reliable turf specialist throughout his 29-race career with 21 starts on grass and four on synthetic, Echo Lane has won eight with four seconds and eight thirds with earnings of $618,892. He is out of the Mineshaft mare Misbehavin and was bred in Florida by Echo Lane of Ocala.
Echo Lane is 10-1 on the morning line, has post five and will be ridden for the first time by Francisco Arrieta.
By far the richest among the Chorleywood runners with career earnings of $2,141,405 for owner Whitham Thoroughbreds, Burnham Square won the mile-and-a-half VisitLEX Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland by nine-and-a-half lengths two starts back in April. He began his 2026 campaign with a second to Cruise the Nile in an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Gulfstream sod on February 28.
Last year, the Ian Wilkes-trained son of Liam’s Map won the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass in April and the Grade 3 Holy Bull in February. He has a career record of five wins, four seconds and a third in 13 starts but has two wins and two seconds in four starts since switching to the grass. Among his seconds on the turf is a head loss to Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) in $2.6 million DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational at Kentucky Downs in August.
Burnham Square will depart post one with Brian Hernandez Jr. in the irons.
The Louisville was the first start of the year for Dancin in Da’nile, who is trained and co-owned by Gail Cox with Ralph Murray, John Menary and Michael Balaz.
The 7-year-old gelded son of Pioneerof the Nile has not won since November of 2024 when taking a second condition, $80,000 optional claiming on the Woodbine all-weather main track but in 2026 had a second and two thirds on the Woodbine turf, in seven starts—mostly in stakes. He was second in the $119,000 Niagara going a mile-and-a-quarter in August, third in the Grade 3 HPIbet Singspiel in September and third in an upper condition, $80,000 optional claiming to finish the year in November. The Singspiel and optional claiming were both at a mile-and-three-eighths on the Woodbine turf.
Dancin in Da’nile has four wins, four seconds and four thirds in 32 lifetime starts with earnings of $427,683.
He is 12-1 in the program and will be guided out of post six by Florent Geroux.
Rounding out the field are Parchment Party with Junior Alvarado named to ride, Spoiler with Edgar Morales up, Clyde’s Got a Gun and jockey Cristian Torres, Axel Concepcion has the call on Chapman’s Park, The Hidden Chamber with Adam Beschizza and Jaime Torres will take the reins on Timeout.
Return to the June 11 issue of Wire to Wire
