Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeder Association

News - Headlines April 16, 2024

Madi Gras Derby, Oaks Trials Set for Saturday

Louisiana Breeders' Lassie Futurity (RG2) winner Btrain will head 37 state-bred distaffers in the first ever $104,708 Mardi Gras Oaks trials at Louisiana Downs.

© Coady Photography

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

BOSSIER CITY, LA_MARCH 8, 2023–Saturday's eight-race program at Louisiana Downs will be dominated by 400-yard trials for the $104,332 Mardi Gras Derby (R) for state-bred 3-year-olds and inaugural $104,708 Mardi Gras Oaks (R) for state-bred sophomore fillies.

Post time for Saturday's first race is set for 1:35 p.m. (CST).

Thirty-seven 3-year-old fillies are entered in four Mardi Gras Oaks trials.

Btrain, a daughter of Freighttrain B trained by Fernando Valdez for owner Homero Hermilo Campa-Mireles, drew post 8 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. in the third heat. A $27,000 purchase at the 2021 LQHBA Yearling Sale, the filly is coming off of a 2-year-old campaign during which she earned $166,947 from four races and scored a 1 1/2-length victory in the 330-yard, $311,000 Louisiana Breeders' Lassie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs.

"We are very pleased to report for the first time in the history of Louisiana Quarter Horse racing there will be a 3-Year-Old FILLIES ONLY race with a purse that execeeds $100,0000, LQHBA Executive Director Bruce Salard said.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the March 25, $50,000-added Mardi Gras Oaks final.

Saturday's Mardi Gras Derby trials have attracted 37 Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds, topped by Narciso Flores' Turn The Eagle Loose.

A homebred son of One Dashing Eagle trained by Leonel Hernandez, the gelding ended his juvenile season with a fourth-place finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind dead-heat winners Tha Duke and San Lorenzo Jet, in the state's richest Quarter Horse race, the 400-yard, $1-million LQHBA Million Futurity (RG1) at Evangeline Downs.

Turn The Eagle Loose drew post 7 and will be ridden by Eleazar Hernandez in the second trial.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the $50,000-added Mardi Gras Derby final on March 25.

LQHBA is the official authorized representative of the American Quarter Horse racing and breeding industry in Louisiana, the unified voice of quarter Horse breedings in the State of Louisiana for purposes of communicatting the advantages and rewards of breeding Quarter Horses in the State and for the purposes of a conducting and coordinating activities with breeding and racing agencies.