Louisiana Showcase Night Set for Saturday at Delta Downs
© Coady Photography
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:
- On Point (David Alvarez)
- Game Overtime (John Hamilton)
- Eysa Jess Jumpn (Guadalupe Lucio Jr.)
- Barjaxs (Donald Watson)
- Tdz Louisiana Toast (Manuel Gutierrez)
- Im For Real (Pedro C. Espinoza)
- Achievopiloto (Rolando Cabrera)
- Guidry Pride II (Modesto Pina)
- Corona Prize (Luis Vivanco)
- 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:
- Featuring Fast Jess (Luciano Duenez)
- Lightemupwithcharm (Rolando Pina)
- DLJ Imma Be Famous (Saul Ramirez Jr.)
- Tan Jet (Everardo Rodriguez)
- Sizzlin On Da Bayou (Guadalupe Lucio Jr.)
- Jls Dash N Fire (David Alvarez)
- San Lorenzo Corona (Victor M. Urieta Jr.)
- Beyondthecos (Damian Martinez)
- Mpshinning (Luis Vivanco)
- 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.