A field of six will assemble in the starting gate on Friday night for the $65,000 Eillo Stakes at the Meadowlands. Among the six entered for the six furlong test is Easy Gallop, who rides a two race win streak into the event as he makes his stakes debut. The 3-year-old colt by Forest Wildcat is undefeated at the distance and his connections are hoping that his versatility will prove to his advantage as he looks for yet another return to the winner’s circle.

After a runner-up performance in his debut on June 25 at Monmouth, Easy Gallop dead-heated for a victory next out on July 12. He finished fifth in his next start, a race the trainer was disappointed in, but not without hope.

“He was wide into the first turn that day,” said Pat McBurney, who conditions the colt for James Dinan, BDL Stables and Phantom House Farm. “He wound up making two moves before tiring. It wasn’t what we were hoping for, but it wasn’t terrible either.”

After going long in his first three tries, Easy Gallop was equipped with blinkers and shortened to six furlongs, two moves that have proved productive and profitable for the connections.

“We freshened him up before bringing him back short,” McBurney said. “He’s run great in his last two and has shown he is versatile.

“We’ll take a look at who’s in the race on Friday and how it looks like it’ll set up. He’s doing great and we’re hoping for another big race from him.”

As for future plans for Easy Gallop, “We’ll try and give him an easy winter,” the trainer said. “We’ll look to bring him back to Monmouth as a 4-year-old and try him long again. There’s some nice races we’re hoping to get to with him.”

From the fence out, the field for the Eillo, with rider assignments, is:

1. Lucky James (Carlos H. Marquez Jr.)
2. Secretintelligence (Rosie Napravnik)
3. Fleet Valid (Pablo Morales)
4. Mister Triester (Javier Castellano)
5. Easy Gallop (Eddie Castro)
6. Who’s the Cowboy (Jose Lezcano)