RGS Gold Wagon Drives Home Fastest In Evangeline Downs Derby Trials

RGS Gold Wagon, ridden by Edgar Mata, sets the fastest qualifying time to the $106,620 Evangeline Downs Derby on Saturday evening.

© Coady Photography

OPELOUSAS, LA–NOVEMBER 18, 2023–The Saturday night card at Evangeline Downs featured four trials for the Evangeline Downs Derby.  The finals, with a purse totaling $106,620, will be contested on Friday, December 15. 

The fastest qualifier for the Derby was Mauricio Garza’s Rgs Gold Wagon.  Breaking sharply with jockey Edgar Mata, Rgs Gold Wagon drifted a few paths while clear and had enough left to hold off First Time for Wine in the rush to the wire.  

The winning margin was just a head in the final trial of the night, as the winner stopped the timer in :19.766 seconds for the trial distance of 400 yards.  The winner earned a speed index of 92 over a track rated fast on a pleasant fall evening which paid $4.00 for the victory on a $2.00 wager.

Trainer Zackary Stinebaugh qualified three runners for the final, including two of the trial winners with jockey Edwin Escobedo.

Trained by Janessa Lee Muniz, Rgs Gold Wagon wins for the sixth time from 20 career starts.  The winner of the 2022 Evangeline Downs Futurity adds $3,000 to his bankroll, which now stands at $293,105. 

Bred in Oklahoma by Roy Garza, Rgs Gold Wagon is a three-year-old sorrel gelding sired by Prized Wagon and is out of the Gol mare Ja Gols Debutante.

Gone Grand, ridden by Eliazar Vera, won trial 3 of the night by 1 1/2-lengths over Pappacito for the second fastest time in :19.768 seconds. The post-time favorite clocked a 92 speed index and the victory paid $5.60 to win.

Jose Camacho owns and trains Gone Grand who has lit the board 11 of 12 starts with five wins and $84,588 in career earnings. The son of FDD Going Grand was bred in Texas by Jerry Windham out of Trashy Tres by Tres Seis.

CLICK HERE for complete details on the $106,620 Evangeline Downs Derby Trials, including horse, sex, sire, dam, dam sire, owner, breeder, trainer and jockey. Finals are to be ran on December 15, 2023.