Dominating Debut Propels Tf Shez Jess Dashin to Fastest Time in $305,296 Mardi Gras Futurity Trials

BOSSIER CITY, LA—FEBRUARY 23, 2019—State-bred 2-year-olds made their career debut on Saturday with $38,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate Tf Shez Jess Dashin posting the fastest qualifying time from 132 starters who participated in 15 trial races at Louisiana Downs for the $305,296 Mardi Gras Futurity(RG2).

The 10 fastest qualifiers will return to Louisiana Downs on Saturday, March 16th to vie for the $137,383 winner's share a the $100,000-added first official futurity of 2019. The restricted grade 2 event will be contested over 300 yards.

Tf Shez Jess Dashin turned a sharp effort under jockey Everardo Rodriguez in trial 6 when the daughter of multiple stakes sire Sir Runaway Dash won wire-to-wire by two lengths in the fastest clocking of :15.455 seconds, a 96 speed index on a sloppy (sealed) showery racing surface into a 10 mph crosswind.

Trainer Ned Goutierrez III conditions the gray filly for owner Down South Racing LLC.

"We knew this filly was going to be good," Steven Tate part of the ownership group Down South Racing said after the trial race.

Tf Shez Jess Dashin is a half-sister to three black-type runners including RG2 Zia Derby winner Jess Ought To Flash and West Texas Juvenile winner Poison Sumac. The filly is out of the multiple stakes producing Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Ought To Go Now and was bred by Tate Farms.

"She has a nice bloodline and looks the part. We decided against running her in the schooling races; she worked on February 3 and we liked what we saw," he said.

"This is the second year I have gone into partnership with "Buddy" Deville. Jamie Cardenas joined us this year," Tate said. "She went through the sale ring for $38 or $40,000. A couple of people have already called me saying that they thought this was the fastest ever trial time for the Mardi Gras Futurity. What I saw is that she wants to go further!"

J & J Stables LLC's JJ Jess An Meteorite kicked off the day by posting a 1-¼ length win in the opening trial to record the second fastest time of :15.481 seconds. The son of Jess An Idea drew clear under jockey Ricardo Hernandez, Jr., in a sharp effort on the sloppy (sealed) course into a 10 mph crosswind . Trainer Willie Simien, Jr. conditions the homebred from the Meter Me Gone mare The Meteorite.

"He's a homebred -the owners have both the sire and the dam," Simien said after the opening trial win. "When I got him, they told me he was already broke, which surprised me because he was like a big kid playing. He's a very easy horse; today, even though he stumbled, he recovered well and ran a great race."

Multiple grade 1 sire Freighttrain B got the first of three qualifiers when Hh Gailforce defeated Train Of Diamonds by one-length in the fourth trial. Ridden by jockey Luciano Duenez, the bay filly clocked the third fastest time of :15.588 seconds, a 92 speed index to a 10 mph crosswind.

Racing for Egoizzta Partnership and conditioned by Joel Cantu, Hh Gailforce is a $12,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate from the First Prize Perry mare One My Prize, a half-sister to AQHA Racing champion Open Me A Corona. Harvey Hayes is the breeder.

Jockey Rolando Pina rode Jrs Sir Pop A Top, a $12,500 Sir Runaway Dash LQHBA Yearling graduate, to a half- length victory in trial eight to record the fourth fastest time of :15.588 seconds, a 92 speed index into a 10 mph crosswind.

Trainer Joe Davis saddled the second foal from the Oak Tree Special mare, Pop A Top Special Pi, a half-sister to two black type including AQHA Racing Distance Champion B And G Fast Dash and RG3 winner La Mos Chingono. Oscar Rhone is the breeder.

First-crop sire Apollitical Blood got his first stakes qualifier from this first starter on Saturday after Escandalo and Eddie Sanchez drew off to an impressive 2 ¼ length win in the third trial. The bay filly was clocked in :15.611 seconds, a 91 speed index into a 10 mph crosswind, the fifth fastest on Saturday.

A homebred for owner-breeder Delfino Lozano, IV, Escandalo is conditioned by trainer Arturo Davilla, III. The bay filly out of Eyeing Miss Perry by Mr Jess Perry, is a half-sister to grade 2 Sam Houston Futurity finalist Mighty Zapata. The second dam is La Primera Del Ano Derby(G2) winner Louisiana Eye Opener, by Mr Eye Opener, the dam of Grade 1 Texas Classic Derby runner-up Dutcher and G1-placed Eye On Corona.

Another first-crop sire getting this first stakes finalist was Heza Fast Rogue. Streakin Fast Rogue, a gelding by the son of leading sire Heza Fast Dash, posted the sixth fastest time of :15.629 seconds, a 90 speed index, in trial two. The $10,500 LQHBA Yearling graduate broke his maiden under jockey Eddi Martinez with a one-length effort.

Raul Rodriguez saddled the gelding for owners Ashton Elder and Miguel Romero, Jr. Jacob Broussard bred Streakin Fast Rogue from the Game Patriot mare Streakin Game Patriot, a sister to RG2-placed Good Game Meg and RG3-placed Shes Got Game.

Multiple stakes sire Jet Black Patriot's Patriot On Ice defeated Mr Achievement B by a nose in trial 11. Ridden by jockey J.R. Ramirez, Patriot On Ice clocked a :15.631 time, a 90 speed index for the 300 yards, to get the seventh fastest qualifying time.

Trainer Alberto Solis conditions the $9,200 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate for owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr. Jordan Michael bred the sorrel colt out of Zooming On Ice by Azoom. Mando Downs Derby(G2) winner Corona On Ice by Corona Cartel is the second dam. This is the family of Ed Burke Million Futurity(G1) winner Morning Snow.

Champion sire Coronas Leaving You's Jrs Duel Fantasy was two-length winner in trial 9 to record the eighth fastest time of :15.639 seconds, a 90 speed index. Jose Lopez saddled the $12,500 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate to his first win for owner Rosalio Espinosa.

Julien R. Stevens III bred the brown colt from a half-sister to Ruidoso Futurity(G1) winner Jess Significant and La Primera Del Ano Derby(G2) winner So Significant. The second dam is champion Significant Speed by Duel Fuel.

Mr Achievement B, second-place finisher to the aforementioned Patriot On Ice, held on to the ninth fastest time of :15.640 seconds. The brown colt is the second qualifier for trainer Joe M. Davis. Bred by Julian Stevens, Jr., Mr Achievement B is owned by Q & S Racing. The son of Freighttrain B is out of the Achievement mare Diamonds Achievement.

The final qualifier Heza Fast Train B, the third for multiple stakes sire Freighttrain B, broke sharp in the trial 10 under jockey Jesse Levario then pulled away to win by one-length in :15.671 seconds.

Josue Ponce saddled the $12,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate from the Heza Fast Dash mare Fast Girl Friend for owner Juan Martinez. DGC LLC and Damian Trahan bred the gray gelding from the family of stakes winners PYC Place Your Bet and Man Hez Gorgeous.

For a complete list of Mardi Gras Futurity qualifiers, with their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

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About Harrah's Louisiana Downs
Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. 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.