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Louisiana Breeders' Laddie Futurity Headlines Saturday State-Bred Stakes Doubleheader at Delta Downs
Fastest qualifier Aj Train will head a field of 10 state-bred colts and geldings entered in Saturday's 330-yard, $280,271 Louisiana Breeders' Laddie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs.

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Louisiana Breeders' Laddie Futurity Headlines Saturday State-Bred Stakes Doubleheader at Delta Downs

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

VINTON, LA–MAY 24, 2023–Adelita Lopez's AJ Train, a sorrel son of Freighttrain B and the fastest qualifier, heads a field of 10 state-bred colts and geldings entered in Saturday's 330-yard, $280,271 Louisiana Breeders' Laddie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs.

A $67,000 purchase at last year's LQHBA Yearling Sale, AJ Train made his debut with a half-length victory in the third of 12 Laddie Futurity trials on May 5. The colt drew post 4 and will be ridden by Juan F. Garcia Jr. for trainer Dwayne Breaux.

Other contenders include Alan Duran's Hijack A Train, a graded stakes placed Freighttrain B gelding trained by Josue Ponce. A $90,000 buy at last year's LQHBA Yearling Sale, Hijack A Train has earned $46,108 from three races, and his record includes a third-place finish, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner San Lorenzo Blood, in the March 25, $365,000 Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2) at Louisiana Downs.

Hijack A Train drew post 3 and will be ridden by Nestor Duran.

Also on Saturday, Fausto G. Mendoza's Five Bar Jess Cartel is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the 400-yard, $40,000 Vinton Stakes (R) for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds.

Five Bar Jess Cartel will be facing sophomores again off of his troubled 10th-place finish against older state-bred sprinters in the April 28, 350-yard Open Me A Corona Stakes (RG2) a Delta Downs. However, the Five Bar Cartel colt brought a three-race win streak into the Open Me A Corona that included a one-length victory in the April 1, $104,000 Mardi Gras Derby (R) for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds.

Five Bar Jess Cartel drew post 7 and will be ridden by Ubaldo Luna for trainer Joel Huitron.

All Delta Downs races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.