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Evangeline Downs Ends Meet With Stakes Bonanza


Queen Washita will 10 juveniles in Saturday's 400-yard, $257,650 Evangeline Downs Futurity, one of four official stakes offered during the track’s closing-day program.

© Coady Photography

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OPELOUSAS, LA—DECEMBER 15, 2015—Fastest qualifier Queen Washita, a brown daughter of champion Inseperable racing for Jorge Aguilera, is one of 10 juveniles entered back in Saturday’s 400-yard, $257,650 Evangeline Downs Futurity, one of four official stakes offered during the track’s closing-day program.

A stakes-placed filly trained by Adrian Huitron, Queen Washita is coming off of a dominating 2 1/4-length win in the fourth of nine trials on November 27. She has earned $13,995 from seven outs, and her resume includes a third-place finish in the 400-yard, $50,000 Dash For Cash Juvenile Invitational Stakes at Lone Star Park on October 10.

Queen Washita drew post 6 and will be ridden by Manuel Gutierrez.

Other contenders include Pete Scarmardo’s Dash Dont Cheat, a homebred gelding by Down N Dash trained by Larry Kopycinski. An earner of $56,457 from eight starts, the gelding has shipped in from Texas, where he was a finalist in the 400-yard, $449,000 Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) at Lone Star Park on October, and the 350-yard, $414,000 TQHA Sale Futurity (RG2) at Retama Park in July.

Francisco Calderon will ride Dash Dont Cheat from post 3.

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

  1. Barefoot Beach (Sergio Fuentes)
  2. WRS Quick Eagle (Joe Badilla Jr.)
  3. Dash Dont Cheat (Francisco Calderon)
  4. Setyoursightshigh (Alejandro Medina)
  5. The Valiant Prince (G.R. Carter Jr.)
  6. Queen Washita (Manuel Gutierrez)
  7. Heza Lucky Chic (Jose A. Rodriguez)
  8. Windschke (David Alvarez)
  9. Catching Fire Corona (John Hamilton)
  10. Tac It Sassy (Donald Watson).

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Evangeline Downs Derby

Cobalt Creek, a Grade 1-placed son of Walk Thru Fire trained by John Stinebaugh for owner Victor W. Pryor Jr., drew the rail post for Saturday’s 400-yard, $145,100 Evangeline Downs Derby.

The ninth-fastest qualifier, Cobalt Creek has banked $144,541 from eight starts. Campaigned in New Mexico last summer, the Missouri-bred gelding placed third in the 400-yard, $900,000 Rainbow Derby (G1) on July 18.

Gilbert Ortiz has been named to ride Cobalt Creek on Saturday.

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

  1. Cobalt Creek (Gilbert Ortiz)
  2. Ncc Game On (Francisco Calderon)
  3. Iconic Jess (Alfonso Lujan)
  4. Happie Happie Happie (David Alvarez)
  5. WW Showtime (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
  6. Executive Successor (Eddi Martinez)
  7. Zoomin Baby (Francisco Ramirez Jr.)
  8. Exquisite Stride (Joe Badilla Jr.)
  9. McM Storm Catcher (G.R. Carter Jr.).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sam’s Town Stakes

One of three distaffers in the 10-horse field, Louis Johnson Jr.’s TF Eyes R Struttin drew post 9 for the 350-yard, $25,000 Sam’s Town Stakes on Saturday.

TF Eyes R Struttin has won her last two races, both stakes against fillies and mares, including the 330-yard, $30,000 Billy Montgomery Stakes (R) at Evangeline Downs on October 24. The 4-year-old Struttin to Beduino mare will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. for trainer Lanny Keith.

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

  1. Chale Viejo (Armando Ramirez)
  2. Quic Carter (Eleazar Hernandez)
  3. Sleepers Best Corona (Alfonso Lujan)
  4. Scoopies Leaving You (Donald Watson)
  5. JW Divino Comento (John Hamilton)
  6. T Boy G (David Alvarez)
  7. Allizoom (Eddie Aceves)
  8. Cartels Fortune (Lucas Constantin)
  9. TF Eyes R Struttin (Raul Ramirez)
  10. The Eagle Express (Francisco Calderon).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

IP 870 Stakes

Louis Howard’s Jessa Little Rusty will make his first-ever start in Louisiana in Saturday’s $25,000 IP 870 Stakes.

A 5-year-old Grade 1-winning son of Mr Jess Perry trained by John Stinebaugh, Jessa Little Rusty is coming off of a fourth-place finish, 2 3/4 lengths behind winner Executive Trust, in the 870-yard, $55,000 King Rick Rack Stakes at Zia Park on November 22. The gelding scored an upset 3 1/2-length victory in last year’s 870-yard, $100,000 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Prairie Meadows.

Jessa Little Rusty drew post 7 and will be ridden by Gilbert Ortiz.

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

  1. Austins Deal (Eddi Martinez)
  2. EC Cartel (Francisco Calderon)
  3. KR Jess Hopeful (Donell Blake)
  4. Keepn It Kool (Lucas Constantin)
  5. The Game Lover (Ray Mayo)
  6. Sheza Gamer (Garrett Medina)
  7. Jessa Little Rusty (Gilbert Ortiz)
  8. McM Zuper Man (Alfonso Lujan).

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


Courtesy Ses