Racing


Sleepers Best Corona Gets Third Stakes of Season In Jess Meche Memorial
Sleepers Best Corona (on the rail) keeps his nose in front of Scoopies Leaving You to win the ess Meche Memorial StakesSaturday night at Evangeline Downs.

© Coady Photography
Sleepers Best Corona Gets Third Stakes of Season In Jess Meche Memorial

OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 28, 2015—Sleepers Best Corona turned back a late bid by Scoopies Leaving You to win the $18,000 Jess Meche Memorial Stakes by a nose Saturday night at Evangeline Downs. Rosouti finished 1¼-lengths back in the show position.

Ridden by jockey Alfonso Lujan, Sleepers Best sprinted over the 220 yard course in :11.792 seconds, a 97 speed index into a the 10 mph headwind. Already a two-time stakes winner in 2015 the Coronas Prospect 4-year-old used the $9,000 to boost his earnings mark to $127,135.

Javier Noel Contreras conditions the gelding, that was claimed for $20,000 at Remington Park last April, for owner Frank Benson. Southern Rose Ranch bred Sleepers Best Corona in Oklahoma from the Strawfly Special mare Call Me The Sleeper. He has won four of six starts this season and eight of 15 lifetime.

Hoping to get his third consecutive stakes victory Scoopies Leaving You had to settle for second for owner Joel Galindo and trainer Kevin Broussard. After winning the Gentilly Dash Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course in August, the son of Coronas Leaving You won the Evangeline Downs Dash in his last start October 2.

Donald Watson was aboard the Gerald Libersat Louisiana-bred out of Ms Scoopies Toast, by Toast To Dash. A winner of 10 of 21 career starts, the 4-year-old has earned $180,780.

Martin Trejo saddled third place finisher Rosouti for owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr. Jo Baya Foreman bred the Agouti mare in Louisana from the Heza Fast Dash mare Rose For Windy. Ridden by David Alvarez, the stakes winning 5-year-old has earned $119,073.

Kerrys Special Crown, Dontakeyourguns, El Macho Prieto Boy, King Daddy Dove and Sydney Leigh completed the field.