Louisiana Legends Night set for Friday at EvD
OPELOUSAS –Evangeline Downs will once again offer purses totaling more than $1 Million dollars on the fourth installment of Louisiana Legends Night, a thirteen race program featuring eleven stakes races restricted to Louisiana bred horses on Friday.
This year’s event has drawn a total of 124 program starters, an average of more than 9.5 horses per race. Bettors responded to the series of stakes races by setting an all-time record handle on each of the last two editions of Louisiana Legends Night.
More than $6.3 Million dollars has been wagered on the series to date, and last year’s total handle of $2.218 million was at the time, the highest single program handle in the history of racing in South Central Louisiana.
The racing action will begin at 5:50 p.m. due to the extended program.
The D. S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity for two-year-olds at the distance of five furlongs will once again headline the 2008 edition of “Legends” Night. The “Shine” (under various names) has been run each and every year that Evangeline Downs has been open, but this year marks only the first time that there will be a filly division in addition to the colts & geldings event. The Filly division, the richest race on the evening with a purse of $133,600, will be the 8th race on the program, while the colts & geldings will battle it out for a purse of $128,600 as the 9th race of the evening. In addition to the “Shine” divisions, there are four races worth $100,000, two races with a purse of $75,000, and three starter races with a purse of $50,000.
As is often the case in horse racing these days, trainer Steve Asmussen appears to hold a strong hand as he sends out the likely favorite in each division. In the filly division of the “Shine”, he will tighten the girth on 2/1 morning-line favorite Lightlightlight, a daughter of Whywhywhy who won her trial in impressive fashion despite racing just five days earlier in the TTA Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park. Showing no after effects from that event, she inched clear late under mild encouragement from jockey Donnie Meche after dueling for the lead the entire way. Her final running time of 58.15 seconds for the five furlongs was the fastest final time recorded by either sex in the eight trials held three weeks ago. Reckon, unchallenged and undefeated in two starts looms as the major challenger to the expected favorite. After recording a professional win in her debut, the daughter of Devil His Due wowed horsemen and patrons with a double-digit victory in her trial. Showing considerable early speed, she led at every point of call and drew away from her rivals without being shown the whip by Hector Santiago, who returns in the saddle for Trainer Wiley Shirey. Other trial winners include Charles Castille Jr.’s Akiane, the $160,000 Sales-topper at the Fasig-Tipton Texas Sale in April, and Shutupanddance, a daughter of Brassy Wells who won her trial in front-running fashion for owners Denise and Bill Morrison and trainer Stanley Roberts. In the colts & geldings division, Call West is also the 2/1 favorite off a dominating win in his trial on short rest after running in the TTA Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park. The son of Macabe has plenty of early speed and he used it to great effect in his trial leading all the way stopping the teletimer in 59.39 for the five furlongs under jockey Donnie Meche. The only multiple winner in the field, he is owned by Dan Bearden. Other trial winners include Dancesing, a well-bred son of Songandaprayer who won his trial by six lengths in 59.34 for trainer Carl Deville under jockey Colby Hernandez, Heavens Passage, a wire-to-wire winner of his trial for trainer Chad Hassenpflug and owner Allen Peterson, and Green Cascade, a gelded son of High Cascade who is one of three entrants for trainer John Gelner.
Smitty’s Sunshine makes her Evangeline debut in the $100,000
Pierre LeBlanc Memorial Stakes
Smitty’s Sunshine, a seven-time stakes winner who has annexed black-type events at Churchill Downs, Calder Race Course, Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, and Sam Houston Race Track en route to earnings of more than $500,000, makes her Evangeline Downs debut in the $100,000 Pierre LeBlanc Memorial for fillies & mares sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs. Owned by Roger Smith and trained by Morris Nicks, the daughter of Seeking a Home finished second in her prep for this event last month in a five-furlong turf sprint at Louisiana Downs. The 9/5 morning-line favorite will be ridden by Donnie Meche. Stakes winners Carson City Babe and Coach Mike as well as Delaware Park invader Golden Opportunity also figure prominently in this, the first of the six-figure events on the program.
Magic Sunset the one to beat in the $100,000 Pola Benoit
Memorial Stakes
Magic Sunset, winner of the $200,000 Premiere Championship at Delta Downs this past February, looms as a short price favorite with regular rider Don Simington against seven other four-year-olds and up in the $100,000 Pola Benoit Memorial at the distance of 1 1/16th miles. Owned by the Heiligbrodt Racing stable and trained by James Hudson, the five-year-old gelded son of Mutakdim thrashed many of his rivals in the aforementioned Premiere Championship and in his most recent start, an allowance event at Louisiana Downs three weeks ago. Defending Champion Grand Minit, along with stakes winners Willist and Joe’s Majesty are in good form and must be respected.
John Charles looks to rebound in the $100,000 Junius Delahoussaye
Memorial Stakes
Coming off his only off the board finish in his nine-race career, L & R Racing Stable’s John Charles looks to rebound in the $100,000 Junius Delahoussaye Memorial Stakes for three-year-olds and up sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs. Compromised by an uncharacteristically poor start, John Charles failed to show his customary early zip and checked in fourth behind three of his main rivals in his prep for this event three weeks ago. Prior to that effort, the gelded son of Belek had reeled off three consecutive wins including front-running scores in the Big Earl and Need for Speed stakes. The latter of which was recorded right here at Evangeline Downs. Trained by Sam Breaux, John Charles will be ridden by Gerard Melancon, who has ridden him in all six of his career wins. Tortuga Straits, who set a track record for the 5 1/2 furlongs distance here at Evangeline Downs in that same event three weeks ago, has won a stakes race at all four pari-mutuel racetracks in Louisiana for trainer Ralph Irwin and owner Karla Balensiefen. Stakes winners Brother Bean, Fass Feat, and Bandido make up what maybe the most competitive event of the evening.
Veteran Raspberry Wine accorded the edge in the $100,000 J. Archie
Sebastien Memorial Stakes
Although she may have lost a step or two, the six-time stakes winning Change Takes Time mare Raspberry Wine is still a major player in any Louisiana bred stakes race. Now six-years-old and winless in four starts this year, the beaten favorite in last year’s J. Archie Sebastien Memorial comes off a solid runner-up effort in the Seven Stars Stakes at Louisiana Downs. Owned by the Sport of Kings Racing and trained by Al Stall Jr., the lifetime winner of more than $480,000 sports a solid work tab leading up to this event and will be ridden by Curt Bourque. Sammie Sam, a winner of two of her last three starts, and Leestown Light, claimed for $30,000 by Richard Foudriat and trainer Kelly Broussard out of her last start, appear to be the main rivals.
Streaking Superior Storm the big favorite in the $75,000 Frank A. “Buddy” Abadie Memorial Stakes
Superior Storm, whose only loss in her last five starts came at the hands of the ill-fated Eight Belles in the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park this past February, looms a short-priced favorite as she takes on seven other three-year-old fillies in the $75,000 Frank A. “Buddy” Abadie Memorial Stakes at the distance of one mile. Owned and bred in Louisiana by Jack Dickerson, the daughter of Stormy Atlantic is the only multiple stakes winner in the field and the field’s leading money earner with more than $250,000 bankrolled in ten career starts. Trained by Richard Jackson, the six-time winner will be ridden by regular pilot John Jacinto. Go Atm, the only other stakes winner in the field, and Biduadeau, who finished a close third behind Superior Storm in the recent Fantasia Stakes and Louisiana Downs appear to be the main threat to the big favorite.
Ide Like a Double the one to beat in the $75,000 B. B. “Sixty”
Rayburn Memorial Stakes
Ide Like a Double, fresh off a clear-cut victory over many of her rivals tonight in the recent Acclaim Stakes here at Evangeline Downs, figures to be a solid favorite in the $75,000 B. B. “Sixty” Rayburn Memorial Stakes for three-year-old colts & geldings at the distance of one mile. After a couple of so-so efforts on the Triple Crown trail this spring, the Ide colt returned to state-bred competition in the aforementioned Acclaim Stakes and picked up right where he left off, in the winner’s circle. Trained by veteran B. J. Gilbert for owner Valene Farms, Ide Like a Double is the 8/5 morning-line favorite in the nine horse field. Kerwin Clark, his regular jockey, will ride. Bluehard and Star Production, one-two finishers in the Free Spirit’s Joy Stakes in May at Louisiana Downs, but no match for Ide Like a Double in the Acclaim Stakes, figure as the most likely challengers.
Also on the program are three $50,000 Starter Stakes, the Mervin Muniz Memorial, the Attaway Darbonne Memorial, and the Gene Norman Memorial. All three starter events are for horses that have raced for a claiming price of $10,000 or less in 2006-2007. The Gene Norman & the Attaway Darbonne are each at the distance of 5 furlongs, while the Mervin Muniz will be contested at 1 mile & 70 yards.
Carded as the 8th & 9th races on the program, the two divisions of the D. S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity have approximate post times of 8:38 and 9:02 p.m.