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Three Louisiana Champions Day Stakes Set for Saturday at Evangeline Downs


Three-time stakes winner San Lorenzo Dash will start off a layoff in Saturday's 440-yard, $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes (RG2) at Evangeline Downs.

© Coady Photography

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OPELOUSAS, LA–DECEMBER 13, 2023–Rogelio Marquez Jr.'s San Lorenzo Dash, a three-time stakes winner during the Delta Downs meet, will make her first start in 2 1/2 months in Saturday's 440-yard, $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes (RG2) at Evangeline Downs.

The 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of 10 aged Louisiana-bred runners, San Lorenzo Dash will be making her first official start at the classic 440-yard distance. The homebred 4-year-old Heza Fast Dash mare has earned $95,600 from seven races this year, and her three stakes victories include the 400-yard, $60,000 Vals Fortune/Teddy Abrams Jr. Stakes (RG2) on June 21.

San Lorenzo Dash drew post 6 and will be ridden by David Alvarez for trainer Jesus M. Marquez.

LRH Heart Of Glass, a 4-year-old daughter of Five Bar Cartel racing for Carlos Campos, boasts a four-race win streak that includes victories in the 330-yard, $60,000 Flashy Hemp Stakes (R), and the 400-yard, $50,000 Mid-City Stakes (R). Francisco Campos Sr. trains the sorrel mare.

LRH Heart Of Glass drew post 3 and will be ridden by Arturo Alvarez.

Two other Louisiana Champions Day stakes will be contested on Saturday. Gene Cox's Moonin Rusty headlines Saturday's 400-yard, $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Derby (RG2) for state-bred 3-year-olds. A homebred son of Moonin The Eagle, the gray gelding is coming off of a wire-to-wire, 2 1/4-length victory in the November 4, 400-yard Opelousas Stakes (RG3) at Evangeline Downs.

Moonin Rusty drew the rail post and will be ridden by Juan F. Garcia Jr. for trainer Dwayne Breaux.

Ten state-bred 2-year-olds are entered in Saturday's 350-yard, $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes (RG2).

Last Freighttrain, a graded stakes placed Freighttrain B filly owned by Harry Stratton and a $33,000 buy at last year's LQHBA Yearling Sale, drew post 7 and will be ridden by David Alvarez for trainer Orlando Orozco. Last Freighttrain has banked $97,984 from six outs, and her summer record included a second-place finish, a head behind winner One Cool Corona, in the September 2, $449,000 LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Delta Downs.

All Evangeline Downs races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.

 
Courtesy Ses