J Boys Echo, the authoritative winner of Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, will “most likely” make his next start in the Grade 2, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 8, trainer Dale Romans said Sunday.

Trainer Chad Brown won three races on Saturday’s card at Gulfstream: Ticonderoga in the Palm Beach; Wake Forest in the Mac Diarmida; and first-time starter Timeline in a loaded maiden race.

He said Ticonderoga would make his next start in the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland on opening day April 8, and that his long-term goal was the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in July.

Brown said jockey Joel Rosario “gave him a beautiful ride.”

Wake Forest is being considered for the Pan American at Gulfstream on April 1, followed by the Man O’War at Belmont on May 13, Brown said.

The Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 8 remains the intended target for Classic Empire, who is scheduled to go back to the track on Tuesday after having a potential workout aborted last Friday.

Classic Empire refused to work that morning, and minutes later at the barn was showing discomfort in his back, trainer Mark Casse said. An equine therapist was brought in to work on Classic Empire on Saturday afternoon, and by Sunday morning Classic Empire was frolicking in a round pen like the happiest horse in the world.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – The highly regarded McCraken, forced to miss this coming Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby because of some post-workout puffiness in an ankle, returned to the track to gallop Sunday morning here at the Palm Meadows training center. He missed just a handful of days of training.

“It was just minor,” trainer Ian Wilkes said of the hiccup. “I’m happy with him. It was better to back off now. If you push, you’re screwed. We just had to wait. I did what I thought was right.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Silent Bird has not lost since his debut in December 2015, reeling off five consecutive wins since the middle of January 2016.

The winning streak includes four optional claimers and the minor Damascus Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita last November, the only stakes appearance for the 5-year-old horse. Next Saturday, Silent Bird will have his long-awaited graded-stakes debut in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gormley, the winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile Jan. 7, is tentatively scheduled to start in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita next Saturday, trainer John Shirreffs said on Saturday.

Shirreffs said Royal Mo, the winner of the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 4, will be pointed for the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 18.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The list of contenders for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap next Saturday has grown to include a horse claimed for $62,500 on Thursday and a Group 1 winner from South America.

Cautious Giant, third in two graded stakes for sprinters in 2016, will start as a pacesetter for stablemate Imperative, new owner Ron Paolucci said on Saturday. Cautious Giant was claimed for $62,500 on Thursday from an optional claimer at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

When Chris DeCarlo was unseated by his mount, Enchanteresse in the sixth race at Aqueduct last Nov. 19, the jockey thought he was going to be out a few days. An initial misdiagnosis of his injury turned a few days into a few months. On Feb. 25, DeCarlo began getting back on horses in the morning, and now he’s eyeing a mid-March return to the saddle in the afternoon.

DeCarlo said Friday that he is targeting March 14 for his return, though if that is the date, he likely would have to ride at Parx since that is a dark day at Aqueduct.

The $125,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct next Sunday won’t have any superstars, but it’s shaping up as a solid race that includes a trio of New York-breds – Royal Posse, Diversify, and Send It In – who have combined to win 14 of their last 16 starts.

Diversify, undefeated in four starts; Send It In, who has won six of his last seven; and Royal Posse, a winner of four of his last five, are all targeting the Stymie, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the inner track.

The stakes-winning 3-year-old Saint’s Fan came back lame from a Friday workout at Fair Grounds, was diagnosed with a fractured cannon bone in his left-hind leg, and had to be euthanized.

Trainer Dallas Stewart bred and owned Saint’s Fan, a Louisiana-bred by Take of Ekati out of the Sky Mesa mare Boy Crazy.

“He had a workout today, got back to the barn, and after a bath, we noticed he wasn’t walking well,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the fracture ran down the cannon bone all the way to the sesamoid and wasn’t repairable.