New Batch of Two-Year-Olds First Up in Louisiana Training Races on Friday
© Amanda Glidden / Plugged In Marketing
The group of Louisiana state-breds, all nominated to the $250,000 Guaranteed Mardi Gras Futurity(RG2), will get their first training races going 220 yards. First post is set for 11 a.m. (CST) in Bossier City.
Among the expected starters are five LQHBA Yearling Sale graduates that brought a bid of $20,000 or higher last summer.
Race 9 will feature two of those yearlings, Mr Range Rover, a $25,000 repurchase and Firmino, a $20,500 summer sale yearling. Both are colts by leading Louisiana sire Heza Fast Dash.
Racing for owner/breeder Ponderosa Ranch of PC, Inc., Mr Range Rover is the first foal of the RG1 finalist Dashformoomoo by Fast Prize Dash. Trainer Bobby Martinez will saddle the brown colt with Damian Martinez named to ride. This is the family of LQHBA Sale Futurity(RG1) winner Dashin Gage.
Also in Race 9 is $20,500 LQHBA Sale Graduate Firmino, a well-bred son of Heza Fast Dash from the stakes-placed Teller Cartel mare Tell Brenda, a half-sister to grade 1 winner and leading sire Feature Mr Jess. Martin Rubalcava conditions the colt for owner JP Quarter Horses. Alfonso Lujan will ride.
Another pair of top graduates' TF Shez On Fire and Whos Looking Fast are set to square off in the final race (14) on Friday. Preston Jourdan will saddle TF Shez On Fire, a daughter of first-crop sire Highest Fire, for himself and Tony Palermo. Gilbert Ortiz has been tapped to ride the $22,000 sale-grad from the multiple RG1 producing Special Project mare Got A Project. This is the family of stakes winners Mr Mallard and Toast To Mallard.
Facing off against Tf Shez On Fire is $20,000 LQHBA graduate Whos Looking Fast, a Heza Fast Dash filly owned by Rancho El Cabresto, Inc. Wendy Garcia trains and Modesto Pena will ride the bay filly from the first foals out of the Corona Cartel mare Whos Got The Look, a sister to stakes winner Look Whos Running and G1-placed Rieda Hay Worth. The second dam is the Grade 1 winning First Down Dash mare Worth A Look.
Yoni Martinez will saddle $20,000 LQHBA graduate U R Jess Blue in Race 3 for owner Ebelyn Rojas. Eddie Martinez has been named to ride the Jess Louisiana Blue colt out of U R Blue by Walk Thru Fire. This is the second foal from the half-sister to stakes winner Blues Man Won and stakes-placed Amore La Blue. The second dam is four-time champion, including world champion, Blues Girl Too winner of more than $2 million and such races as the Champion of Champions(G1) and Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity(G1).
For a complete list of entries, courtesy Jumonville Farms, with sires, dams, sale information (if available), owners, trainers and jockeys for Friday's schooling races CLICK HERE.
Horsemen and women can CLICK HERE or log on to the Louisianan Downs website and click the "Horsemen" tab to watch live-streaming of the schooling races.
Training race will results will be posted on StallioneSearch.com as soon as they become available Friday afternoon from the racetrack.
Trials for the restricted Grade 2 Mardi Gras Futurity will be contested at Louisiana Downs on Saturday, February 24 over 300 yards. The $250,000-guaranteed final will run back Saturday, March 17.
For additional information visit the LQHBA website at lqhba.com or call the association at (318) 487-9506.