Ms Runaway Presence Tops The Field For This Year’s $329,410 Lassie Futurity At Delta Downs

VINTON, LA—JUNE 12, 2020—Delta Downs hosted 15 trials for this year’s $329,410 Louisiana Lassie Futurity (RG2) on Friday night and the fastest qualifier of the evening was Douglas O. Traylor’s Ms Runaway Presence with jockey Noe Castaneda in the saddle for trainer Kenneth Roberts, Sr.

Ms Runaway Presence was clocked in a time of :16.712 seconds for 330 yards while winning the 13th trial on the program.

Each heat was contested over a fast track. Ms Runaway Presence was making her career debut in the Lassie trials and she did her running from the outside post position in a field of 10. She earned a speed index of 91 for the effort.

Bred in Louisiana by Charles or Irma Lyles, Ms Runaway Presence is a 2-year-old filly by multiple stakes sire Sir Runaway Dash out of the Daunting Presence mare Provocative Presence.

The gray filly sold for $27,000 in the 2019 LQHBA Yearling Sale in Kinder, Louisiana. She is a half-sister to Lee Berwick Futurity(G1) runner-up Shining Presence and stakes-placed Jet Black Presence.

Jessa Louisiana Dash, a finalist in the restricted Grade 2 Mardi Gras Futurity, got her second win from three career starts in the trial 3, while posting the second fastest clocking of :16.756 seconds with an 8 mph tailwind.

Jockey Ubaldo Luna had the riding call aboard the daughter of leading sire Heza Fast Dash for trainer Martin Rubalcava.

Owner Eleazar Martinez, Sr. purchased the brown filly for $25,000 at the 2019 LQHBA Yearling Sale from breeders Jumonville Farms and Burnett Ranch. Jessa Louisiana Dash is a sister to multiple restricted graded winner Heza Louisiana Dash. She has banked $25,359 to date.

J.E. Jumonville Jr. bred third fastest qualifier Jess Her Dream, who broke her maiden at first asking in the sixth trial while recording a :16.828 clocking with a 6 mph tailwind. Repurchased in the LQHBA Yearling Sale for $45,000, Jess Her Dream races for owner TYKHE Racing LLC.

M. Heath Taylor trains the Jess Louisiana Blue filly out of In His Dreams by Apollo (TB). A sister to RG3 winner Political Option and six other black-type, she is from the family of leading sire Apollitical Jess.

Each trail race on Friday night carried a purse of $10,000 and the winner’s each received $6,000. The final of this year’s Lassie Futurity will take place on Friday, July 3 and the winner that night will take home $164,705.

Trainers Van Haywood and Jose Carrizales saddled two Lassie Futurity finalist each.

Sir Runaway Dash, Freighttrain B and One Sweet Jess sired two finalist each into the rich futurity final.

CLICK HERE for the complete list of Louisiana Lassie Futurity(RG2) qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys.

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Delta Downs will close out opening week of racing on Saturday with an expanded 18-race program. Each race is a trial for this year’s $357,981 Louisiana Laddie Futurity (RG2) for 2-year-old Louisiana-bred colts and geldings. There is a special first post time of 2:35 pm (CDT).

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For more information about the new season visit the track's website at deltadownsracing.com.

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.