Evangeline Downs Presents Stakes Bonanza on Saturday

Shesa Diamond Diva will head the richest race in Louisiana—LQHBA Louisiana Million—Saturday night at Evangeline Downs.

© Coady Photography

OPELOUSAS, LA—DECEMBER 13, 2017—Evangeline Downs will host a 10-race action-packed stakes program on Saturday. Post time for the first race is set for 5:35 p.m. (CST).

The racetrack's fall Quarter Horse meet will close with two cards next week—Monday and Tuesday— with a special 3:15 PM (CST) post.

Evangeline Downs’ Saturday race card features seven official stakes, topped by the state’s richest race for any breed, the 400-yard, $1-million Louisiana Million Futurity (RG1) for state-bred 2-year-olds. Cruz E. Nava’s Shesa Diamond Diva, a gray daughter of the Struttin To Beduino and the fastest qualifier, is coming off of a three-quarter length victory in the eighth of 15 trials on November 17.

Raced exclusively in Louisiana, Shesa Diamond Diva has won three of six starts and has earned $51,021, and her resume includes second-place finishes in the September 2, 300-yard De Saix Stakes at Fair Grounds Racecourse, and the July 8, 350-yard Louisiana Juvenile Invitational Stakes (R) at Delta Downs. The filly drew post 9 and will be ridden by Eddie Sanchez for trainer Saul Ramirez Jr.

JRS Taylors Runnaway, a graded stakes-winning son of Sir Runaway Dash trained by Martin Trejo for owner Rosalio Espinosa, drew post 5 and will be ridden by Jorge Linares. JRS Taylors Runnaway brings in a four-race win streak that includes a head victory at odds of 28-1 in the 350-yard, $297,000 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Fair Grounds on September 9.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Diamondinthefront (Randy Edison), 4-1
2. Featuring Fast Jess (Noe Castaneda), 10-1
3. Ima Gone Reba (Raul Ramirez Jr.), 8-1
4. FPJ Blazen Fast Ryon (Rolando Cabrera), 15-1
5. JRS Taylors Runnaway (Jorge Linares), 5-1
6. Stormy T (Rodrigo Vallejo), 12-1
7. Eye Am Sizzlin (Santiago Mendez), 6-1
8. You Drive I Fly (Donald Watson), 6-1
9. Sheza Diamond Diva (Eddie Sanchez), 5-2
10. RF Shez Leaving You (Damian Martinez), 20-1

A full field of 10 state-bred sophomores has been entered back in Saturday’s 400-yard, $316,991 Louisiana QHBA Breeders’ Derby.

Gary W. Hartstack’s JRS Coronas Shadow, a gelded son of Coronas Leaving You trained by Kenneth Roberts Sr., drew post 2 and will be ridden by David Alvarez. JRS Coronas Shadow has earned $158,563 from six outs this year, and his 3-year-old resume includes a half-length win in the 400-yard, $257,000 Delta Downs Louisiana Breeders’ Derby (RG2) on July 8.

Fastest qualifier Bubba Mallard drew post 5 and will be ridden by Everardo Rodriguez for owner Salvador Marquez and trainer Bruce Bell. A gray son of Sir Runaway Dash, the gelding is coming off of a head victory in the last of three trials on November 17.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. No Politics Here (Noe Castaneda), 3-1
2. JRS Coronas Shadow (David Alvarez), 8-1
3. First Prize Bourban (Donald Watson), 6-1
4. Gone Swingin (Nestor Duran), 20-1
5. Bubba Mallard (Everardo Rodriguez), 5-1
6. TF Racee Runaway (Jorge Linares), 8-1
7. Shez The Bomb (Damian Martinez), 6-1
8. One Hot Flame (Manuel Gutierrez), 12-1
9. Toasted Runaway (Rolando Cabrera), 20-1
10. Lightemupwithcharm (Raul P. Hernandez), 4-1

This Is An Eagle, a graded stakes winning son of One Famous Eagle owned by Mary G. Lynne Thompson of Navasota, Texas, heads a field of 10 2-year-olds in Saturday’s 400-yard, $309,200 EVD Futurity.

The 3-1 morning-line favorite, This Is An Eagle was the $100,000 sale topper at last year’s TQHA Yearling Sale in San Antonio. The colt has banked $300,038 from seven outs, and his five wins include a half-length win as the 6-5 favorite in the 330-yard, $484,000 Sam Houston Futurity (G2) on April 29.

This Is An Eagle drew post 3 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon for trainer Larry Kopycinski.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. EOS A Political Win (Jesse Levario), 5-1
2. Independence B (Jose A. Alvarez), 15-1
3. This Is An Eagle (Francisco Calderon), 3-1
4. Alluringeyeopener (Nestor Duran), 10-1
5. Kas Tempting (Luis Vivanco), 6-1
6. Sunset Run (Raul Ramirez Jr.), 6-1
7. Captain Jimbob (Modesto Pina), 4-1
8. Corona Ranger (Gilbert Ortiz), 12-1
9. Sr Shambles (Damian Martinez), 8-1
10. FDD Lajolla (Rodrigo Vallejo), 12-1

Double A Ranch Inc.’s Paint My Pilot, a graded stakes winning Pyc Paint Your Wagon colt trained by Eduardo Morales, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 400-yard, $182,500 EVD Derby.

Paint My Pilot has won three of six races, including the 440-yard, $213,000 Dash For Cash Derby (G3) at Lone Star Park in September, and he has earned $94,860 this season. The colt drew post 8 and will be ridden by Yordanis Amaro.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Fancy Mamasita (Nestor Duran), 10-1
2. Beaus Famous (Luis Vivanco), 12-1
3. Eyesa Texan (Gilbert Ortiz), 6-1
4. Apollitical Girl (Jose I. Martinez), 12-1
5. Jess A Tr (Eddie Sanchez), 20-1
6. Sizzlin Stewart (Manuel Gutierrez), 4-1
7. Famousist (Everardo Rodriguez), 8-1
8. Paint My Pilot (Yordanis Amaro), 3-1
9. Dash Quick Perry (Francisco Calderon), 4-1
10. Gianni Que (Raul Ramirez Jr.), 10-1

Also on Saturday, Ruben Garcia Montemayor’s Eye N Capo will make his first start against older sprinters in the 350-yard, $20,000 Sam’s Town Stakes. Trained by Josue Ponce, Eye N Capo boasts a 2017 resume that includes a second-place finish, a neck behind winner Apollitical Scout, in the 400-yard, $305,000 Remington Park Derby (RG3) for Oklahoma-breds on April 22. The Capo de Capi gelding drew post 10 and will be ridden by Damian Martinez.

Second Down Leaving is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Saturday’s 400-yard $40,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million Invitational Stakes (R). Trained by Javier N. Contreras for owners Eulallo Argote and Victor Alvarado, the Coronas Leaving You gelding will be stretching out in distance off of his second-place finish in the 350-yard, $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes (RG2) at Fair Grounds on December 9. Second Down Leaving drew post 9 and will be ridden by Manuel Gutierrez.

Seven distance specialists have been entered in Saturday’s 870-yard, $20,000 IP 870 Stakes. Mo Racing’s B And G Fast Dash has won his last three outs, all against 870 stakes company. The 9-5 morning-line favorite, the 5-year-old Heza Fast Dash gelding drew post 2 and will be ridden by Donald Watson for trainer Kenneth Roberts Sr.

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