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Jess Sea Louisiana Rockets Home Setting The Fastest Time In Louisiana Million Trials


Jess Sea Louisiana, under jockey Ricardo Hernandez, Jr., setting the fastest qualifying time for the $1-million LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity(G1) at Evangeline Downs Friday night.

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OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 25, 2022— Evangeline Downs held a 14-race card of qualifiers for the 2022 $1,000,000 Louisiana Million Futurity(RG1) Friday night. 

The finals, with the largest purse regardless of breed in Louisiana, will be contested on Saturday, December 17 with the winner banking $445,000.

The fastest qualifier for the 2022 Louisiana Million was the Raul Galvan trained Jess Sea Louisiana.  Running in the 12th trial of the night, Jess Sea Louisiana and jockey Ricardo Hernandez, Jr. broke exceptionally well and cruised to victory winning by a margin of 1-1/2 lengths. 

Owned by Eleazar Martinez, Sr., Jess Sea Louisiana covered the 400-yard distance in a snappy :19.575 seconds and earned a speed index of 96 with a 7 mph tailwind.  The trials were contested over a track rated wet-fast.

The win by Jess Sea Louisiana is the third from nine career starts.  Earning $6,000 for the victory, his bankroll now stands at $96,966.  This is the fourth futurity final that he has qualified for this year.

Bred in Louisiana by Grant Farms LLC, Jess Sea Louisiana is a 2-year-old brown gelding sired by The Louisiana Cartel and is out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Sea.  He was purchased at the 2021 Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Yearling Sale for $30,000.

The biggest upset of the evening came in the seventh trial of the night as Masseto outgamed previously undefeated San Lorenzo Jet and returned $50.80 for a $2 win ticket. 

Masseto posted the fourth fastest clocking of :19.710, a 93 speed index with a 7 mph tailwind. The royally-bred son of One Sweet Jess is out of multiple graded stakes producer Full Moon Dash by Dash Ta Fame.

Trainer Mario Trujillo, Jr. named jockey Rene Hernandez to ride the $40,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate for owner Jose I. Rocha. A winner of two of 10 starts this season the half-brother to Dashnunder Afullmoon has banked $28,350. Spring Hill Farms, LLC is the breeder.

Heavy post-time favorite and two-time graded stakes winner San Lorenzo Jet put in a gallant effort to finish second by a nose under jockey David Alvarez. Owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr. paid $49,000 for the son of Jet Black Patriot at the LQHBA Yearling Sale.

Conditioned by trainer Jesus Marquez, San Lorenzo Jet has won four of five starts including the Lee Berwick Futurity(RG1) and the Laddie Futurity(RG2). Bred by Rogers Farms, Tim and Jennie Rogers, the gay gelding has earned $555,410.

Dash For Cash Futurity(G2) finalist Tha Duke got his fourth career win while posting the second fastest time on Friday night. Under jockey Arturo Alvarez Tha Duke was a gate-to-wire winner in the third trial while clocking :19.600, a 96 speed index into a 7 mph crosswind. 

Owned-and-bred by Ashton Elder and Miguel Romero, Jr., Tha Duke is out of the Jess Louisiana Blue mare Precious Perry Girl. The son of first-crop sire Rc Me Leaving You has banked $50,370 this year.

After setting the fastest qualifying time in the $426,500 Dash For Cash Futurity trials the sorrel gelding finished a troubled fifth in the final after a bad start. Tha Duke was also the third fastest qualifier for the $331,880 Laddie Futurity(RG2) in May but did not run-back in the finals.

Second in the LQHBA Sales Juvenile Stakes two races back, Pk Pure Rogue was a 2-3/4 length winner in the second trial to secure the third fastest qualifying time of :19.688, a 93 speed index with a 7 mph tailwind.  Guadalupe Lucio, Jr. rode the daughter multiple stakes sire Heza Fast Rogue for owner Jose Rodriguez.

Miguel Pizana trains the $9,200 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate from the Agouti mare Kinky Boots. Phatt Kat Ranch bred the stakes-placed earner of $34,790. She has won or placed in seven starts this year.

This Train Flies, under jockey Juan Garcia, Jr., was a neck winner over Five Bar Panther in the 11th trial to secure the fifth fastest clocking of :19.740 seconds, a 92 speed index with a 7 mph tailwind.

Trainer Dwayne Breaux conditions the $34,000 LQHBA Sale graduate for owner Wesley Goings. It was the second consecutive win for the son of world champion sire Freighttrain B. Jim and Natalie Montgomery bred the sorrel colt from the Genuine Strawfly mare Cee Cee Strawfly. He has earned $17,930 in five starts.

Five Bar Panther, a $6,700 steal at the LQHBA Sale, held on for the seventh fastest clocking of :19.806, a 90 speed index. Ricardo Hernandez, Jr., piloted the son of Five Bar Cartel for owner Strat Construction and Fabrication, LLC.  Jockey Ricardo Hernandez, Jr. rode the brown filly out of Swinging Panther by Panther Mountain.

Bred by High-Value Resources, LLC, Five Bar Panther broke her maiden in her last start at Evangeline on November 2. She has earned $21,600.

Cole Train 2, who suffered his first loss in four starts this season when he finished second to fastest qualifier Jess Sea Louisiana, held on for the eighth fastest time of :19.824 seconds, a 90 speed index.

An $8,000 repurchase at the LQHBA Yearling Sale Cole Train 2 races for owners Felix Rodriguez and Sergio Holguin. Jose Ponce saddled the Freighttrain B gelding for from the Dominyun mare Histori.

Bred by Kenneth Fletcher, Cole Train 2 broke his maiden in the Mardi Gras Futurity trials, then won a Laddie trial and an Allowance race on May 28 at Delta Downs. He has earned $28,400.

Mp Don’t Look, an $18,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate, raced to his second consecutive win in the closing trial to secure the ninth fastest time of :19.842 seconds, an 89 speed index with a 4 mph tailwind. Fernando Valdez is the trainer.

Arturo Alvarez guided the Mr Piloto gelding from gate-to-wire by post a three-quarter length win for owner Rosendo Valdez. Grant Farms, LLC bred the two-time winner from the First To Shine mare McM Dont Look Back. Mp Dont Look has an (6) 3-1-1 record and has earned $37,890.

Elegant Blues Girl finished second in the third trial to Tha Duke to hold on to the 10 fastest qualifying spot for owner SLC Racing, LLC . Coming off a maiden victory in her last start on October 5 at Evangeline the daughter of Jess Louisiana Blue is conditioned by trainer Leonel Hernandez.

Under jockey Eleazar Hernandez the sorrel filly clocked :19.877 seconds, an 89 speed index with a 7 mph crosswind. Jumonville Farms bred Elegant Blues Girl from the Walk Thru Fire mare U R Blue. She has banked $13,900 in five starts this year.

For the complete list of qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

Evangeline Downs will close out the week on Saturday with a 5:35pm first post.  Two trials for the LQHBA Derby highlight the seven-race card. The Evangeline Downs Quarter Horse season runs through December 30.  

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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.

 


Courtesy Ses