Arturo Alvarez, Jose Barron, Dale Keith, Mario Trujillo, Jr. Capture Titles At Evangeline Downs

Jose O. Barron was the leading Quarter Horse owner of the just concluded Evangeline Downs meet.

© Coady Photography

OPELOUSAS, LA—DECEMBER 21, 2022—Jockey Arturo Alvarez celebrated his 22nd birthday in style capturing his first Evangeline Downs riding title.  The 46-day American Quarter Horse season concluded on a chilly Tuesday night.

Alvarez finished off the meet in big fashion recording four wins on the biggest night of the meet, including a dead-heat in the $1,000,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million.  Alvarez finished the season with 38 wins in 216 mounts, an 18% winning rate. 

With 26 place finishes and 24 shows, his mounts finished on the board in 41% of his rides.  Alvarez led the jockey colony in earnings with his mounts banking $897,601 for the season.

There were two other riders to eclipse the half-million mark, with J.R. Ramirez at $578,719 and Ricardo Hernandez, Jr. at $569,950.  Ramirez was also part of the Million dead-heat, while Hernandez, Jr. led the jockey standings until the final weekend.

Arturo Alvarez was the nation’s leading rider by wins for 2022 with 115 victories and finished tenth nationally in purse earnings with a total of $2,082,191.  Ricardo Hernandez, Jr. finished the year sixth in wins with 97, while Juan Francisco Garcia, Jr. ended the year in eighth with 89 winners.

Arturo Alvarez was named Evangeline Downs leading Quarter Horse rider for the just conclude 2022 meet © Coady Photography

Completing the top 10 jockeys for the 2022 meet were:  Ricardo Hernandez, Jr. (36), Ubaldo Luna (28), Juan Francisco Garcia, Jr. (28), Guadalupe Lucio, Jr. (21), Leonardo Rodriguez (19), J.R. Ramirez (19), Rolando Cabrera (18), Gilbert Ortiz (13) and Everardo Rodriguez (11).

The training title came down to the final race on the final night as Mario Trujillo, Jr.’s Bt Gameboy completed a two-win evening and garnered a share of the training title with Dale Keith.  Keith, who entered the night as the leader, had an earlier win on the card with Annas T Time to assure at least a share of the title. 

Trujillo, Jr. finished the season with 16 wins from 53 starter, winning at a 30% rate.  With nine seconds and five thirds, his runners hit the board 57% of the time.  Keith was victorious with 16 of his 93 runners and hit the board 11 times each with seconds and thirds, a solid 41% of his runners lighting the board.

Mario Trujillo, Jr. is the co-leading trainer of the 2022 Evangeline Downs QH meet. © Coady Photography

Jesus Marquez, boosted by the dead-heat victory of San Lorenzo Jet in the Million, led the trainer standing in earnings with $398,190.  Ashton Elder, trainer of the other Million dead-heat winner Tha Duke, finished second with $338,800. 

Other trainers to eclipse the quarter-million mark were Kenneth Roberts, Sr. with a total of $290,639 and Mario Trujillo, Jr. with $279,045.  With only 26 starters at the meet, trainer Roberto Madrigal led trainers in the top ten standings by percentage with a win rate of 35% and hitting the board with 65% of his charges.

Rounding out the top 10 in the trainer standings were:  Edgar Espino (15), Jose Carrizales (14), Leonel Hernandez (11), Kenneth Roberts, Sr. (10) and Orlando Orozco, Juan Cano, Roberto Madrigal and Dwayne Breaux each with nine winners.

Jose O. Barron was the leading owner at the meet with nine winners from 30 starters.  With five seconds and three thirds, his runners won at a rate of 30% and hit the board 57% of the time.  The Barron runners earned a total of $96,130 during the season. 

Including a share of the LQHBA Million crown with San Lorenzo Jet, Rogelio Marquez, Jr. was the leading owner by purse money with a total of $397,650; Ashton Elder and Miguel Romero, Jr., co-owners of Tha Duke, finished second with $338,500; CB Racing Stables (Pedro Barron, Jose Emilio Barron & Norma Duque) completed a successful season earning $97,090 with five wins from 13 starts.

Following Barron in the owner standings by wins for 2022 were:  Jose Ortiz (6), Rosendo Valdez (6), Ismael Ramirez (5), CB Racing Stables (5), Robert Touchet, II (4), Juan Montoya (4), Rogelio Marquez, Jr. (4), R C Stables LLC (Roberto Rosales) (4) and Rolando Pizana (3).

The 2023 Evangeline Downs Thoroughbred season kicks off on April 5.  Racing will be conducted on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule and runs through August 26.  

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For more information on the American Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track's website evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs' Twitter handle is @EVDRacing and the racetrack is also accessible on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.

About Evangeline Downs
Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Evangeline Downs is located in Opelousas, Louisiana, off I-49 on Cresswell Lane at Exit 18.