LQHBA Breedes' Futurity Trials Draw 138 Juveniles

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OPELOUSAS, LA—OCTOBER 25, 2016—A total of 138 state-bred 2-year-olds, led by graded stakes winners Dragon N Panther, Louisiana Jewels, Rdd Lajollanfastdash, Watergirl B, has been entered in Friday’s 400-yard Louisiana QHBA Futurity (RG1) trials at Evangeline Downs.

Fifteen trials will be contested, and due to the large number of heats Evangeline Downs has moved its first post time up to 4:35 p.m. (CDT).

Dragon N Panther is a gelded son of the Corona Cartel stallion Dragon Wings racing for Ricardo Javier Rodrigue Cantu from the barn of trainer Saul Ramirez Jr. He has earned $149,504 from three outs, and his two wins include a half-length victory in the 330-yard, $281,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Laddie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs on May 21.

Dragon N Panther drew post 4 and will be ridden by J.R. Ramirez in the second trial.

Rdd Lajollanfastdash and Louisiana Jewels will match strides in the 10th heat. A gray son of Heza Fast Dash trained by Jose Sanchez for owner Miguel A. Aguilar, Rdd Lajollanfastdash will be stretching out in distance off of his nose victory in the 350-yard, $323,000 Louisiana QHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Fair Grounds Racecourse on September 3.

Rdd Lajollanfastdash has banked $286,477 from six outs, and his five wins include a clear 2 1/2-length victory as the fastest qualifier and 2-5 favorite in the 300-yard, $273,000 Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2) at Louisiana Downs in March. The gelding drew post 3 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr.

Louisiana Jewels is trained by Michael Taylor for owner Eric P. Johnson’s Harlow Stables LLC. A brown daughter of champion Jess Louisiana Blue, the filly won the May 20, $298,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs and is coming off of a second-place finish in the 350-yard, $690,000 Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity (RG1) on July 9.

Louisiana Jewels drew post 2 and will be ridden by Joe Badilla Jr.

Watergirl B is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the 14th trial. Racing for Vanessa Bartoo of Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico, the Game Patriot filly will be making her first start since July 9, when she outran her 42-1 odds to win the Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity at Delta Downs. Watergirl B drew post 8 and will be ridden by Gilbert Ortiz for trainer John Stinebaugh.

The 10 fastest qualifiers from Friday’s trials will meet in the $1-million LQHBA Futurity on November 19.

The Louisiana QHBA Futurity trials, and all Evangeline Downs races, can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.