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Jessa Louisiana Zoom is Likely Favorite in Rich LQHBA Futurity


Two-time stakes winner Jess Louisiana Zoom will face a tough field $1 million LQHBA Breeders' Futurity on Saturday night.

© Coady Photography

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 23, 2015—A full field of 10 state-bred 2-year-olds has been entered back in Saturday’s 400-yard Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders’ Association Futurity (RG1) at Evangeline Downs.

Worth $1 million, the LQHBA Futurity is the richest race for any breed in the state of Louisiana.

Jessa Louisiana Zoom, a daughter of champion Jess Louisiana Blue racing for Jason Richards and Michael J. Leblanc, is the lone previous stakes winner in the field. Trained by Frank Cavazos, the filly has earned $474,553 from five outs, and her four wins include a half-length victory in the 350-yard, $635,000 Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity (RG1) on July 11, and a 1 1/4-length score in the 330-yard, $274,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) on May 15.

Jessa Louisiana Zoom drew post 8 and will be ridden by Danny Lavergne.

Jet Black Rogue, a Jet Black Patriot filly owned and trained by Michael Taylor and the fastest qualifier, drew post 6 and will be ridden by Joe Badilla Jr. A finalist in the Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity, Jet Black Rogue is coming off of a one-length victory in the second of 14 trials on November 6.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments--

  1. Gone Cartel (John Hamilton)
  2. Special Coors Cartel (Saul Ramirez Jr.)
  3. First Corona Down (Rodrigo Vallejo)
  4. Coronas Mate (Lucas Constantin)
  5. My Favorite Blue (David Alvarez)
  6. Jet Black Rogue (Joe Badilla Jr.)
  7. Gonzo Compadre (Alfonso Lujan)
  8. Jessa Louisiana Zoom (Danny Lavergne)
  9. Toastin With Coronas (G.R. Carter Jr.)
  10. Jess A Saint (Raul Ramirez Jr.).

Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders’ Association Derby

Tony Doughtie’s Jes A Fast Dasher drew post 2 for Saturday’s 400-yard, $267,171 LQHBA Derby (R).

A homebred gelding by Heza Fast Dash trained by Kenneth Roberts Sr., Jes A Fast Dasher won a pair of state-bred stakes last summer, including the 400-yard, $218,000 Delta Downs Louisiana Breeders’ Derby (RG2) on July 11. The gelding has won seven of 11 outs and has banked $409,272.

Jes A Fast Dasher will be ridden by Lucas Constantin.

Other contenders include fastest qualifier Heza Louisiana Dash, a brown Heza Fast Dash gelding who ran second to Jes A Fast Dasher on a wet-fast surface in the August 16, 350-yard Treme Derby (R) for state-breds at Fair Grounds Racecourse. Heza Louisiana Dash is trained by Roberts for owner TM Ranch.

Heza Louisiana Dash drew post 5 and will be ridden by Gilbert Ortiz, who at the time of this writing was just one win away from the 3,000-win mark.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments--

  1. Little Blue Dove (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
  2. Jes A Fast Dasher (Lucas Constantin)
  3. B and G Fast Dash (Alfonso Lujan)
  4. Dashacrossyourmind (Donald Watson)
  5. Heza Louisiana Dash (Gilbert Ortiz)
  6. Louisiana Jambalaya (John Hamilton)
  7. Shes A Fast Dash (Eddi Martinez)
  8. Icanonlyemagine (Joe Badilla Jr.)
  9. Louisiana Sixshooter (Saul Ramirez Jr.)
  10. Game Hi (David Alvarez).

LQHBA Juvenile Invitational Stakes

Mary Ellen Hickman’s Carry On Game, a chestnut daughter of Game Patriot trained by Michael Taylor, has been entered back in Saturday’s 400-yard, $40,000 LQHBA Juvenile Invitational Stakes.

Carry On Game will be ridden by Garrett L. Medina and will race with Dashingpastya as part of a two-horse wagering entry. The filly has banked $45,739 from seven starts, and she was a finalist in the 350-yard, $304,000 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Fair Grounds on September 5.

The complete lineup, in program-number order including jockey assignments--

  1. Dashingpastya (Joe Badilla Jr.)
  2. Carry On Game (Garrett Medina)
  3. Zathuras Fast Dash (Saul Ramirez Jr.)
  4. JRs Runaway Ego (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
  5. Jess Blue Intriguing (Luis Vivanco)
  6. Cute Mic Jagger (David Alvarez)
  7. Oak Tree Streakin (Pedro Espinosa)
  8. Swift 13 (Armando Ramirez)
  9. Agoutis Snowplow (Lucas Constantin)
  10. MDA Sheza Festrocket (Alfonso Lujan).

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


Courtesy Ses