J Boys Echo late challenger to El Areeb in Withers

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – El Areeb’s 11 1/4-length victory in last month’s Grade 3 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct apparently didn’t scare anybody off, as nine 3-year-olds were entered Wednesday to face him in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Wither Stakes here.

El Areeb, a son of Exchange Rate trained by Cal Lynch, drew post 4 in the field, set to go 1 1/16 miles. Trevor McCarthy will ride. El Areeb has won three consecutive races, including the Jerome on a sealed, muddy inner track.

Perhaps El Areeb’s most interesting opponent is J Boys Echo, whom trainer Dale Romans saw fit to ship to New York from south Florida on Wednesday. Romans said he thought the Withers was a better spot for J Boys Echo’s 3-year-old debut than Saturday’s Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream, which features the return of Classic Empire, the 2-year-old male champion of 2016.

Romans said it was simply a matter of finding transportation. Romans was alerted to a flight from Florida to Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, and put J Boys Echo on it.

J Boys Echo, a son of Mineshaft, won a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Keeneland by 5 1/2 lengths on Oct. 27. He made his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot, finishing fourth, beaten 10 1/4 lengths by Gunnevera. J Boys Echo raced up close to the pace early and was wide throughout, though he showed some late interest after dropping back on the backstretch.

“I have no idea what happened in that race,” Romans said Wednesday by phone from Florida. “At the head of the lane, it looked like he was pulling him up, and then he comes running again to be a good fourth.”

Kent Desormeaux rode J Boys Echo in the Delta Jackpot. On Saturday, J Boys Echo will be ridden by Robby Albarado, aboard for the colt’s first two starts, including his maiden win. Albarado hasn’t ridden at Aqueduct since 2009, when he guided Secret Gypsy to victory in the Grade 2 Distaff over the inner track.

J Boys Echo will try to work out a trip from post 10 over the inner track.

From the rail out, the Withers field is: True Timber, Apartfromthecrowd, Jaime’s Angel, El Areeb, Bonus Points, Fillet of Sole, Always a Suspect, Small Bear, Square Shooter, and J Boys Echo.