D Cosmic Cartel Scores Her First Stakes Win In The $25,000 Lip Chip LLC Stakes

D Cosmic Cartel, ridden by Eleazar Hernandez wins the $25,000 Lip Chip LLC Stakes at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.

© Ann Switalski Photography

BOSSIER CITY, LA–APRIL 1, 2023–D Cosmic Cartel flew past the competition at the wire of the $25,000 Lip Chip LLC Stakes at Louisiana Downs on Saturday afternoon for a neck finish over post-time favorite Bye Corona.

Trainer Leonel Hernandez saddled D Cosmic Cartel, who was piloted to the driving finish by Eleazar Hernandez. The duo were third out the gates and trailed in second nearly to the wire, but their final push for victory superseded into first over the finish line.

Aided by a 10 mph tailwind, the five-year-old daughter of The Louisiana Cartel clocked a 101 speed index in :19.774 seconds. The victorious effort paid $12.20 to win on a $2.00 bet and D Cosmic Cartel took home $15,000 for the winner’s share upping her lifetime earnings to $104,550.

The 400-yard stakes race for three-year-old and up quarter horses is the first stakes win for D Cosmic Cartel, who has four lifetime wins, two seconds and four thirds from 16 starts. She was a finalist in five other stakes competitions, including second place finishes in the TQHA Sire’s Cup Futurity (G3) and the Sam’s Town Stakes.

The winning connections of D Cosmic Cartel accept the Lip Chip LLC Sakes trophy at Louisiana Downs.
© Ann Switalski Photography

Bred and owned by Guillermo Herrera of Texas, D Cosmic Cartel is out of the Oak Tree Special mare Special Love Shack.

Predicted to win, By Corona came was runner-up in the Lip Chip LLC Stakes under the guidance of Juan Francisco Garcia, Jr. The Louisiana-bred gelding led the pack nearly to the wire but just missed at the wire taking second a full length ahead of Ec Abella.

Conditioned by Fernando Valdez, Bye Corona has three wins and six seconds from 13 starts with $65,360 in the bank. This is the second stakes placed finish for the four-year-old son of Open Me A Corona, including the Louisiana Champions Day Derby (G3) in 2022. 

Bred by Bobby Barnett, Bye Corona is owned by Alexander Carreon Mendez. The Louisiana-bred gelding is out of the Dashin Bye mare Corona Dashin Bye, who is a new track record and stakes-placed winner.

Ec Abella, ridden by Leonardo Rodriguez, placed third for owner Alejandro Almanza. Trained by Rolando Almanza, the three-time winning daughter of Valiant hero has $51,270 in lifetime earnings.

Bred by William E. Smith, Ec Abella was sold for $17,000 in the 2017 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. The seven-year-old mare is a half-sister to Grade 1 Rainbow and Ruidoso Derby winner Apolltical Chad and is out of multiple stakes producer Fast Prize Tracy by Shazoom. 

The remaining order of finish is One Dashing Dove, Brookes Brioni, Dynotron, Rdd Empire Builder and Cb Pinkmoonin.
 

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About Louisiana Downs
Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and is owned by Rubico Acquisition Corporation. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.