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Louisiana Showcase Day Set for Saturday at Delta Downs


Restricted Grade 2 winner Blood Money drew post 7 for the 350-yard, $826,620 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) at Delta Downs Saturday.

© Coady Photography

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

VINTON, LA—JULY 27, 2021—Seven official stakes restricted to state-bred Quarter Horses will be contested at Delta Downs on Saturday.

The 10-race program, which gets underway at 3 p.m. (CDT), is billed as Louisiana Showcase Day. The card’s richest race, the 350-yard, $826,620 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1), has drawn a full field of Louisiana-bred 2-year-olds, headed by graded stakes winners Blood Money and Sheza Fast Blood.

A $17,000 purchase at last year’s LQHBA Yearling Sale, Blood Money is a son of Apollitical Blood trained by Rosendo Valdez Jr. for owner Rojas Racing Stables LLC. The colt has won all three of his outs, including the 330-yard, $347,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Laddie Futurity (RG2) on June 12, and he has earned $187,821.

Blood Money drew post 7 and will be ridden by Everardo Rodriguez.

Sheza Fast Blood races for Rayne Knight from the barn of trainer Michael Zingelmann. A $15,500 yearling buy, the Apollitical Blood filly brings in a three-race win streak that includes a clear two-length victory in the 330-yard, $319,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) on June 12.

Sheza Fast Blood has banked $176,351 from four starts. The filly drew post 8 and will be ridden by Gilbert Ortiz.

The Lee Berwick Futurity honors the founder and longtime owner of Delta Downs. Lee Berwick opened the track in 1973. He served as president of the American Quarter Horse Association in 1969, and he was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in ’94.

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

  1. Apolliticalfastlane (Juan F. Garcia Jr.)
  2. Angel Guns (Luciano Duenez)
  3. San Lorenzeaux (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
  4. Railroad Jimmy (Noe Castaneda)
  5. TDZ Royal Runaway (David Alvarez)
  6. Jess Louisiana (Floriberto Maldonado)
  7. Blood Money (Everardo Rodriguez)
  8. Sheza Fast Blood (Gilbert Ortiz)
  9. Ultimo Alex (Nestor Duran)
  10. Quid Pro Quo (Randy Edison)

Rosendo Valdez’s Apollitical High brings a four-race win streak into Saturday’s 400-yard, $203,122 Delta Downs Derby (RG3) for state-bred sophhomores. A gelded son of Apollitical Blood trained by Rosendo Valdez Jr., Apollitical High has won both of his outs during the current Delta Downs meet, including the 400-yard, $50,000 Vinton Stakes (R) on June 7. The gelding drew post 8 and will be ridden by Nestor Duran.

Apollitical B Snow, a 4-year-old son of Apollitical Blood trained by Rosendo Valdez Jr. for owner Christopher A. Villatoro, heads a full field of 10 entered in Saturday’s 440-yard, $75,000 Louisiana Classic Stakes (RG2). Apollitical B Snow has won two stakes during the current Delta Downs meet, including the open 400-yard, $50,000 Miss Polly Classic Stakes (G2) on June 14. The brown gelding drew the rail post and will be ridden by Everardo Rodriguez.

Eight Louisiana-bred distaffers are entered in Saturday’s 330-yard, $50,000 Flashy Hemp Stakes (R). The Egoizzta Partnership’s HH Gailforce returns to Louisiana after an early season campaign in Texas and Oklahoma, during which the 4-year-old Freighttrain B mare won two stakes, including the 350-yard, $50,000 Decketta Stakes (G2) at Remington Park on March 20. HH Gailforce drew post 4 and will be ridden by Luis F. Ruiz for trainer Joel Cantu.

Zoomingprincezydeco, an 8-year-old son of Zoomin For Bux owned and trained by John P. Fox, is one of eight state-bred distance specialists entered in Saturday’s 870-yard, $50,000 Live Oak Stakes (R). A $10,000 claimer earlier in the meet, Zoomingprincezydeco will be taking on stakes company for the first time off of his half-length victory in an 870-yard, $15,000 open-condition allowance on July 5. The gray gelding drew post 6 and will be ridden by Donald Watson.

Ten state-bred 2-year-olds, all of whom made their last starts in the July 9-10 Lee Berwick Futurity trials, are entered in Saturday’s 350-yard, $75,000 Louisiana Juvenile Stakes (R). Trainer Trey Ellis will send out Flyin The Red Eye for owners Riley Blanchet and Todd Matte. A $26,000 purchase at last year’s LQHBA Yearling Sale, the Jet Black Patriot gelding is coming off of a clear 1 3/4-length victory in his Lee Berwick trial. Flyin The Red Eye drew post 9 and will be ridden by Juan F. Garcia Jr.

Areli Gutierrez’s Sharks Jess Jumpin, a Grade 3-placed sophomore son of Jumpn Chic trained by Fructuoso Huitron, drew post 4 and will be ridden by Rolando Pina in Saturday’s 220-yard, $50,000 Flying Breed Stakes (R). Sharks Jess Jumpn will be shortening in distance off of his second-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner Wagons Dash, in the 350-yard, $25,000 Develop a Plan Stakes (G3) at Delta Downs on July 12.

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


Courtesy Ses