Delta Downs Prepares To Open Its 2017 American Quarter Horse Meet This Weekend

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel will kick off its 2017 American Quarter Horse season on Friday.

© Coady Photography

The 46-day meeting runs through July 8 and will feature live programs each Wednesday through Saturday after opening weekend is complete. First post time nightly is set for 6:15 pm Central Time.

Opening weekend will feature two stakes races. On Friday night, the track will host the $20,000 Delta Dash for 3-year-olds and up competing at 250 yards. The top earner in a field of 10 is Joel Galindo’s Scoopies Leaving You, who won the Flying Breed Stakes at Delta Downs on closing night of the 2016 season. The Kevin Broussard trainee has earned over $292,000 in his career and will be piloted by Donald Watson (see related story).

Saturday’s action will include the $50,000 Open Me a Corona Stakes (RG2) for 3-year-olds and up traveling 350 yards. Last year’s leading trainer Kenneth Roberts, Sr. will send out Tony Doughtie’s Jes a Fast Dasher in the race with Noe Castaneda in the saddle. Jes a Fast Dasher won the 2015 edition of the Delta Downs Derby as a 3-year-old (see related story).

The first-time trials of the season will take place this weekend as well. On Friday night, the track will conduct four trials for this year’s $62,715 Old South Derby (see related story). Saturday’s card will include six trials for this year’s $81,430 Old South Futurity. The finals for the Old South Derby and Futurity will take place on May 12 and 13 respectively.

Another important set of stakes races this season will take place on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 when the track hosts the $75,000-added Louisiana Lassie Futurity (RG2) and the $75,000-added Louisiana Laddie Futurity (RG2) respectively. Trials for those races will take place on April 28 and 29.

The richest open-bred stakes races of the season will take place on June 30 and July 1 when the $100,000-added Firecracker Derby for 3-year-olds and the $100,000-added Firecracker Futurity (Gr. 2) for 2-year-olds take center stage. Qualifying trials for the Firecracker races will be held on June 9 and 10.

The racing season will wrap up at Delta Downs on July 8 with another edition of Louisiana Showcase Night, which features eight stakes races for Louisiana-bred horses and the richest race of the season, the Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1). Last year’s Lee Berwick purse set a record, as the $690,295 purse marked the highest Quarter Horse purse amount ever awarded at Delta Downs since the track opened its doors in 1973.

Some of the nation’s top horsemen will be back at Delta Downs this season. Jockey David Alvarez will attempt to win back-to-back riding titles after taking his first crown in Vinton last year. Trainer Kenneth Roberts, Sr. will be vying for his eighth leading trainer title after he won the conditioners race in 2016 by just one win over Michael Taylor.

Owner/trainer Juan A. Carrillo won his first leading owner title at Delta Downs in 2016 and is expected to be in contention for the same honor this time around.

For more information about the upcoming season visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com or on the Facebook page, ‘Delta Downs Racing’. The track’s Twitter handle is @deltaracing.

  Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.