News - Headlines March  29, 2024

Louisiana Showcase Night Set for Saturday at Delta Downs


Multiple stakes winner Eysa Jess Jumpn will head Saturday’s 400-yard, $308,863 Delta Downs Derby (RG3) at Delta Downs.

© Coady Photography

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

VINTON, LA—JULY 3, 2019—Seven official state-bred stakes, topped by the 350-yard, $700,293 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) for 2-year-olds, will be contested at Delta Downs on Saturday, as the track ends its 2019 Quarter Horse meet with Louisiana Showcase Night.

Ten Louisiana-bred juveniles, topped by fastest qualifier Apollitical Bug, have been entered back in the Lee Berwick Futurity (see related story, the meet’s richest race. Click here for a preview.

Following is a preview of the other six stakes:

Delta Downs Derby (RG3)

Jose Estrada Quarter Horses’ Eysa Jess Jumpn will risk his five-race win streak in Saturday’s 400-yard, $308,863 Delta Downs Derby (RG3).

A brown daughter of Heza Fast Dash trained by Josue Huitron, Eysa Jess Jumpn is coming off of a 1 1/4-length victory in the third of five trials on June 14. The filly has won all four of her starts this season, including the 350-yard, $167,500 Sam Houston Derby (G3) on May 3, and she has earned $91,300.

Eysa Jess Jumpn drew post 3 and will be ridden by Guadalupe Lucio Jr.

Other contenders include Juan F. Martinez’s Tdz Louisiana Toast, a gelded son of champion Jess Louisiana Blue trained by Josue Ponce. Tdz Louisiana Toast has won his last three outs, including the 400-yard, $120,782 Mardi Gras Futurity (R) at Louisiana Downs on March 16.

Tdz Louisiana Toast drew post 5 and will be ridden by Manuel Gutierrez.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

  1. On Point (David Alvarez)
  2. Game Overtime (John Hamilton)
  3. Eysa Jess Jumpn (Guadalupe Lucio Jr.)
  4. Barjaxs (Donald Watson)
  5. Tdz Louisiana Toast (Manuel Gutierrez)
  6. Im For Real (Pedro C. Espinoza)
  7. Achievopiloto (Rolando Cabrera)
  8. Guidry Pride II (Modesto Pina)
  9. Corona Prize (Luis Vivanco)
  10. Rogue One (Everardo Rodriguez)

Louisiana Classic Stakes (RG2)

San Lorenzo Corona, a two-time stakes winner during the Delta meet, heads a field of 10 aged state-bred sprinters entered in Saturday’s 440-yard, $100,000 Louisiana Classic Stakes (RG2).

A 5-year-old Coronas Leaving You stallion trained by Josue Ponce for owner Rogelio Marquez Jr., San Lorenzo Corona will be stretching out in distance off of his half-length victory in the 400-yard, $60,000 Vals Fortune Stakes (RG2) on June 7. San Lorenzo Corona has earned $66,000 from two outs this season.

San Lorenzo Corona drew post 7 and will be ridden by Victor M. Urieta Jr.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

  1. Featuring Fast Jess (Luciano Duenez)
  2. Lightemupwithcharm (Rolando Pina)
  3. DLJ Imma Be Famous (Saul Ramirez Jr.)
  4. Tan Jet (Everardo Rodriguez)
  5. Sizzlin On Da Bayou (Guadalupe Lucio Jr.)
  6. Jls Dash N Fire (David Alvarez)
  7. San Lorenzo Corona (Victor M. Urieta Jr.)
  8. Beyondthecos (Damian Martinez)
  9. Mpshinning (Luis Vivanco)
  10. Rigsby (Ubaldo Luna)

Jose Carlos Hernandez’s Heza Dash Faster, a 4-year-old Heza Fast Dash gelding trained by Faviola Gonzalez, is one of eight Louisiana-bred distance specialists entered in the 870-yard, $50,000 Live Oak Stakes (R). Heza Dash Faster has won his last two starts, including the 870-yard, $25,000 Virgil Bond Stakes on May 31. The gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco.

Rogelio Marquez Jr.’s Sheza Pretty N Black, a two-time winner during the current Delta Downs meet, will face stakes company in Saturday’s 330-yard, $50,000 Flashy Hemp Stakes (R) for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares. A 3-year-old daughter of Heza Fast Dash trained by Alberto Solis, the filly is coming off of a wire-to-wire, three-quarter length victory in a 300-yard, $27,500 non-winners-of-two allowance dash on May 29. Sheza Pretty N Black drew post 5 and will be ridden by Everardo Rodriguez.

A full field of 10 sprinters has been entered in Saturday’s 220-yard, $50,000 Flying Breed Stakes (R). Gunsmoke B, a 6-year-old American Runaway gelding trained by Alberto Solis, brings in a four-race win streak that includes victories in the 300-yard, $25,000 Develop A Plan Stakes (G3) on June 1, and the 250-yard, $20,000 Delta Dash Stakes on April 19. Gunsmoke B drew post 7 and will be ridden by Antonio Alberto.

Jeff Pope’s Fast Dash Hondo Cat, a graded stakes placed daughter of the Heza Fast Dash stallion AJs Fast Dash trained by Nason Eschete, is one of 10 state-bred 2-year-olds entered in Saturday’s 350-yard, $50,000 Louisiana Juvenile Stakes (R). Fast Dash Hondo Cat has earned $73,688 from four outs, and the filly’s season record includes a second-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner TF Shez Jess Dashin, in the 330-yard, $339,931 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) on May 17. Fast Dash Hondo Cat drew post 8 and will be ridden by Rolando Pina.

All Delta Downs races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.


Courtesy Ses