Oklahoma City, OK, October 19, 2024 – Elegant Echo won in stakes company for the first time in her career against black types Friday night, winning the $76,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie at Remington Park to stay unbeaten after two races.
Despite her obvious talent, this 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly by Echo Town, out of the Violence mare Violation, was like a hot potato at auction before landing in trainer Alan Williams’ barn for owner Edward B. Melzer Revocable Trust of Edmond, Okla.
Elegant Echo was originally bought for $15,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and then pin-hooked into the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. There she was purchased for $50,000 and then turned back to auction in the Ocala Breeders’ Sale for June 2-year-olds and horses of racing age, where her current owner, Melzer, picked her up for $55,000.
The half-length winner of the Oklahoma Classics Lassie was a filly that was on Williams’ radar.
“I had been watching her since she was a yearling,” Williams said. “A friend of mine had bought her and pin-hooked her. I liked the way she was working and so far it has worked out for us.”
Melzer said he got a call from Williams about a filly in a Florida sale and so he got online and bought her. She was bred in Oklahoma by Circle Bar H.
Elegant Echo has not disappointed. She broke her maiden at Remington Park at first asking on Sept. 7, winning by a 5-3/4 length margin under jockey Leandro Goncalves. On Friday night, Goncalves was riding Little Iris (5-2) for trainer Kari Craddock and those two had a major battle down the stretch to the wire with Elegant Echo prevailing, this time under jockey Belen Quinonez.
“She broke a half-step slow, but once she got her feet under her, I just guided her around there. When that other filly came up to us, she wouldn’t quit. She did just enough.”
As the even-money favorite, Elegant Echo, paid $4 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.80 to show. Little Iris finished second, 3-1/2 lengths in front of third-place Eireann (25-1). Running time for the winner over the six furlongs on the fast main track was 1:11.98. Elegant Echo came from off the pace in seventh to pass six horses for the victory, cutting into early fractions of :22.55 for the first quarter-mile, :46.23 for the halfand she had the lead by the time they had gone five-eighths in :58.93.
The order of finish past the top three was: Reba Deba (13-1) fourth, Competitive Bond (24-1) fifth, Runaway Okie (30-1) sixth, Floras Ora (6-1) seventh, La Camelia (64-1) eighth, Afternoon Diva (6-1) ninth and Okie Music (83-1) 10th.
It was the first win in this stakes series for Quinonez and Melzer. Williams won the Oklahoma Classics Lassie in 2018 with She’s Shiney, owned by Adios Reality Farms.
Elegant Echo made $45,600 for her Classics Lassie score, moving her two-race career total earnings to $65,898.
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Remington Park has provided more than $357 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. The 2024 Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 13. The Oklahoma Classics Night of stakes racing for top Oklahoma-breds takes place on Friday, Oct. 18. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
