Albarado Confirmed to Ride J Boys Echo in Belmont

Jockey Robby Albarado, who has been sidelined since April because of a leg fracture, will ride graded stakes winner J Boys Echo in the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1), Jason Loutsch of owner Albaugh Family Stable said June 3.

Albarado is booked on two mounts June 8 at Churchill Downs, which will be his first scheduled race outings since undergoing surgery to repair the fractured left tibia he sustained in an fall at Keeneland April 23. The veteran rider galloped horses for the first time since his injury June 2, and Loutsch said Albarado felt confident he would be physically ready to handle the 1 1/2-mile classic next weekend.

SHEA: Albarado Fractures Lower Leg, Off J Boys Echo in Derby

"He's going to be riding some horses this week at Churchill, and most importantly we wanted to make sure he felt good and felt strong," Loutsch said. "Going a mile and a half is obviously a concern having not ridden in five weeks, but he's part of our team and we fully trust that Robby would do what is best for us.

"He said, 'Hey, I feel great. I'm in great shape.' He hasn't even gained any weight, which is surprising to me for a jockey who has been off for five weeks. Everything is a go. We're happy to have him back on our team."

Albarado has been aboard J Boys Echo for all but two of the Mineshaft   colt's seven starts. Luis Saez picked up the mount for the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), where they finished 15th, and Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux guided the colt to a fourth-place finish in the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (G3) in November.

"The first time Luis had ever been on the horse was in the Derby, so that was asking a lot of him," Loutsch said. "Robby knows the horse—knows how he feels. Obviously that's a big plus for us and hopefully we'll be a live longshot."

Added Albarado, "If I wasn't ready to ride, I would definitely tell Dale. I really don't need just to ride the Belmont. If I felt I couldn't give 100%, I'd tell him. I'm so excited about it."

J Boys Echo put in his final work in advance of the third leg of the Triple Crown Saturday, when he covered five furlongs in 1:00. Trainer Dale Romans said the effort was one of the better morning outings the colt—who is not known as an exceptional work horse—has ever had. The Gotham Stakes (G3) winner is slated to ship to New York June 6 along with a contingent of other Kentucky-based horses, including champion and likely Belmont favorite, Classic Empire.

"I asked Dale, 'Can you pinpoint why this horse is working better lately?' and he said, 'I wish I could,'" Loutsch said. "The reality is that is as good as he's worked. He's just in the bit and feeling good."

Fellow expected Belmont Stakes contender Multiplier was also on the work tab Saturday, putting in a four-furlong breeze in :48 3/5 in company at Keeneland. Stakes winner Twisted Tom also put in his last bit of serious work in advance of his classic start, going five furlongs in 1:01.13 at Belmont Park.

Twisted Tom is undefeated in three starts this year, all on dirt, including a win in the April 22 Federico Tesio Stakes. Working in company with Economic Model, the gelded son of Creative Cause   was caught galloping out to six furlongs in 1:13 4/5.

"The Belmont has been our goal since then. We've been trying to figure out how to get him to the race," trainer Chad Brown said of Twisted Tom. "Obviously it will be a big class test for him, but I've been anxious to try him at 1 1/2 miles."

Silverton Hill's Peter Pan Stakes (G3) runner-up Meantime also breezed five-eighths over the Belmont main track Saturday, his final work for the Belmont Stakes. The son of Shackleford   covered the distance in 1:01.66 with jockey Mike Luzzi aboard, and quickly caught up to another Brian Lynch trainee, who broke off about a sixteenth of a mile ahead, as the pair galloped out around the clubhouse turn. 

"It wasn't the most orthodox work," Lynch said. "We tried to work him with another horse and the other horse broke off too far in front of him, but he had a good target to chase. The work was comfortable enough. We worked him quite quick last week, a little quicker than I wanted going into a long race. It was more of a comfort work today with a good gallop out, and inevitably he ended up catching the horse on the gallop out."