Preview Racing


Fair Grounds-at-Evangeline Meet Ends with Stakes Bonanza
Grade 2 stakes winner Sheza Freighttrain T drew post 4 Thursday's 400,000 Louisiana QHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Evangeline Downs.

© Coady Photography
Fair Grounds-at-Evangeline Meet Ends with Stakes Bonanza

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OPELOUSAS, LA—OCTOBER 18, 2020—The Fair Grounds-at-Evangeline Downs meet ends with a 15-race program on Thursday. Post time for the first race is set for 4:35 p.m. (CDT).

Six stakes are on the schedule, topped by the 350-yard, $400,000 Louisiana QHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) for state-bred 2-year-olds. Patrick Richardson’s Sheza Freighttrain T, a graded stakes winning daughter of All American Futurity(G1) sire Freighttrain B and the fastest qualifier from 13 trials on October 1, drew post 4 and will be ridden by Rolando Pina for trainer Eric Long. Sheza Freighttrain T has earned $235,084 from five starts, and her four wins include a head victory on a sloppy track in the 330-yard, $329,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs on July 3.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

  1. A Double Corona (Eddie Sanchez)
  2. TDZ Rolex Rattler (Bobby Ransom)
  3. Apolitical Ivory (Noe Castaneda)
  4. Sheza Freighttrain T (Rolando Pina)
  5. JRS Shiney Tee (Everardo Rodriguez)
  6. A Political Rose (Jorge Linares)
  7. Carter Winnin Edge (Luciano Duenez)
  8. Tee Zo (Leonardo Rodriguez)
  9. Fast Dash Group (Gilbert Ortiz)
  10. Fast Dashin Diamond (David Alvarez)

Louisiana Dressblues, a two-time stakes winner during the Delta Downs summer meet, heads a field of seven distance specialists in Thursday’s 870-yard, $25,000 Faubourg St John Stakes. The 9-5 morning-line favorite, Louisiana Dressblues is coming off of a wire-to-wire, eight-length victory in the 870-yard, $50,000 Live Oak Stakes (R) for state-breds on August 22. The 5-year-old gelded son of champion Jess Louisiana Blue drew post 6 and will be ridden by Juan F. Garcia Jr. for owner Wilson One Consulting LLC and trainer Trey Ellis.

Larry J. Boudreaux’s Mpshinning, a 4-year-old Mr Piloto stallion trained by Adrian Huitron, is the morning-line favorite for Thursday’s 440-yard, $40,000 Mid-City Stakes (R) for Louisiana-breds. Mpshinning has won two of his last three outs, including the 400-yard, $40,000 Miss Polly Classic (G2) at Delta Downs on July 23. The stallion drew post 2 and will be ridden by Everardo Rodriguez.

Eight sprinters, headed by Rosendo Valdez’s Peytons Last Dash, are entered in Thursday’s 250-yard, $30,000 Lakeview Dash Stakes. A 4-year-old son of Heza Fast Dash trained by Rosendo Valdez Jr., the gelding has won both of his starts since he was claimed for $15,000 at Delta Downs on July 4, 2019, including the second division of the 250-yard, $15,000 Harrah’s Dash Stakes at Louisiana Downs on January 4. Peytons Last Dash drew post 3 and will be ridden by David Alvarez.

Jose Estrada Quarter Horses’ Shortstop Express drew the rail post for Thursday’s 350-yard, $40,000 Louisiana QHBA Sale Juvenile Stakes (R) for state-bred 2-year-olds. A $13,500 purchase at last year’s LQHBA Yearling Sale, the bay daughter of Freighttrain B has banked $94,067 from five races, and she was a finalist in the August 22, $1.026-million Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) at Delta Downs. Shortstop Express will be ridden by Ubaldo Luna.

Ten Louisiana-bred distaffers are entered in Thursday’s 330-yard, $33,000 French Quarter Stakes (R). Sea Yacht Dash, a 4-year-old Sir Runaway Dash mare trained by Kenneth Roberts Sr. for owner Jeannie S. Baldwin, is coming off of a second-place finish, a half of a length behind winner Eysa Jess Jumpn, in the 330-yard, $50,000 Flashy Hemp Stakes (R) at Delta Downs on August 22. Sea Yacht Dash drew post 4 and will be ridden by Donald Watson.

All Evangeline Downs races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.