News - Racing March  29, 2024

Dm La Jolla Makes Off With The Delta Dash Stakes On Opening Night


Dm La Jolla, under jockey Rolando Cabrera, winning the $30,000 Delta Dash Stakes on Friday's opening Quarter Horse card at Delta Downs.

© Coady Photography

VINTON, LA—APRIL 20, 2018— Delta Downs kicked off its 2018 American Quarter Horse season on Friday night with a 10-race program that included the $23,850 Delta Dash Stakes and five qualifying trials for this year’s $69,552 Old South Derby (see related story).

Making his first start since a second-place effort in the restricted Grade 3 B.F. Phillips Jr. Handicap at Lone Star Park last November, Dm La Jolla defeated Mps Shake Em N Style by a neck in the $30,000 Delta Dash Stakes on Friday's opening Quarter Horse card at Delta Downs. Also a stakes winner, Hesablackmagic was another neck back to get third in the blanket finish.

Racing for owner Horses Of Fire Inc. and ridden by jockey Rolando Cabrera, Dm La Jolla picked up his first career stakes win. Porfirio Fierro conditions the 4-year-old son of Hiclass La Jolla from the Prime Talent mare Dm Bella Mia.

The winning connections of Dm La Jolla accepting the Delta Dash Stakes trophy Friday night at Delta Downs.
© Coady Photography
The brown gelding clocked :13.067 seconds over the 250 yards to earn a 97 speed index. Winning for the fourth time in 17 starts, Dm La Jolla banked $12,000 to push his earnings total to $70,379. Bred in Texas by Donna Mushinski the gelding was also a finalist in the Grade 3 Sam Houston Derby and Retama Park Derby last season.

Jockey Everado Rodriguez had the riding call aboard runner-up and posttime favorite Mps Shake Em N Style for owner Rodolfo Amaro and trainer Robert Meche. Mamout Prairie Stables bred the Shake Em White 4-year-old in Louisiana from the Fishers Dash mare Style N Grace. He picked up $6,000 for the effort to increase his earnings to $68,740.

Hesablackmagic, under jockey David Alvarez, just missed getting another stakes win with a close third-place finish. He picked up $3,300 for owner Yiret Duran. Juan Carillo, Jr. trains the Jet Black Patriot 7-year-old out of Toast Of Magic by Toast To Dash. The sorrel gelding has compiled a (27) 8-5-3 record and eared more than $170,000. Gerald Paul Vidrine is the breeder.

Sent to the gate at odds of 11-1, Dm La Jolla paid $24.80 to win, $10.40 to place and $5.40 to show. Mps Shake Em N Style paid $3.80 to place and $2.8 to show. Hesablackmagic was worth $3.60 to show.

Mr Coco Pilota was fourth followed by a dead-heat four fifth by Scoopie Leading You and The Golden Bowl. Sassy Chick 3341 and Dash Don’t Cheat completed the field.

For more information about the upcoming season visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com or on the Facebook page, ‘Delta Downs Racing’. The track’s Twitter handle is @deltaracing.

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Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.


Courtesy Ses