Louisiana Downs Set to Host Schooling Races February 14 and 15.

© Ann Switalski Photography

By StallioneSearch

BOSSIER CITY, LA–FEBRUARY 9, 2026– Originally scheduled for February 6, Louisiana Downs schooling races have been rescheduled for Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14, with first post set for 11:00 a.m. each day. The races will feature two-year-olds preparing for the Louisiana Downs Futurity and the Mardi Gras Futurity, offering an early look at the 2024 foal crop as the spring stakes schedule approaches.

StallioneSearch.com will provide complete coverage of the schooling races, including names, times, finishes, sire, dam, sale price, owner, trainer, and jockey, giving horsemen an early evaluation tool ahead of trial entries.

A total of 121 juveniles are entered across the two days, including 48 graduates of the LQHBA Yearling Sale. Two six-figure yearlings are scheduled to appear on Saturday in races 6 and 7.

The schooling races serve as an important stepping stone toward the 2026 Mardi Gras Futurity and the 2026 Louisiana Downs Open Futurity (G3), both to be contested at Louisiana Downs. The Mardi Gras Futurity, restricted to accredited Louisiana-bred foals of 2024, is slated to offer $100,000 added with an estimated purse of $600,000. Trials are scheduled for March 7, with the final to be run March 28 at a distance of 300 yards. The Louisiana Downs Open Futurity, open to all Quarter Horse foals of 2024, will offer $75,000 added with an estimated purse of $250,000. Trials are set for March 5, with the final also scheduled for March 28 at 300 yards. In both races, the ten fastest qualifiers from the trials will advance to their respective finals.

Breaking from the 2-post in race 6 on Saturday under jockey Nestor Duran is DK Bonita Jess, a $120,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate. The filly is sired by all-time leading sire Apollitical Jess, whose progeny earnings exceed $82.1 million and are led by Champion and all-time leading money earner KJ Desparado ($3,367,592). Bred by Cuadra La Presita, DK Bonita Jess is out of the Corona Cartel mare Marney Jo ($71,277), a stakes winner in Mexico and a full sister to Champion KVN Corona ($868,077) and stakes-winning sire Big Lew. Her second dam is Grade 1 winner Executive Looks ($277,891), a full sister to stakes winner Executive Prince ($94,226). DK Bonita Jess is trained by Jose Garcia for owner CH Horse Racing LLC.

Race 7 will feature Flying Party SC, a $100,000 TQHA Yearling Sale graduate who will break from the 3-post. The colt will be ridden by Noe Castaneda for owner and breeder Alfredo Garza Rodriguez and trainer Jose Lopez. He is sired by leading sire Flying Cowboy 123, whose progeny have earned more than $17.2 million, led by champion and All American Futurity (G1) winner Cowboys Gun Z ($1,670,517). Flying Party SC is out of the graded stakes-winning Captain Courage mare Grey Daze ($174,715) and is a half-brother to Greysland ($164,842), winner of the Dash For Cash Juvenile and La Villita Stakes, as well as Bestex Legend SC ($22,695), winner of the Jesus Nuchi Jimenez Sanchez Classic in Mexico.

Results for the schooling races will be available on StallioneSearch.com. SIGN UP for email updates to receive schooling race results and additional industry information.

A program, including sires, dams, owners, trainers, jockeys, and summer sale prices where applicable is available HERE.

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About Louisiana Downs
Located on 280 acres near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, it opened on October 30, 1974, with approximately 15,000 fans in attendance for the first day of its inaugural meet. Built by the late shopping center magnate Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., the track was a success, setting numerous national records for handling and attendance throughout the 1970s and ’80s. In 1980, plans were announced for the first running of the Super Derby, a 1-1/4 mile race to be run in the fall with the hope of attracting the best three-year-olds in the country and impacting the end-of-the-year championships. With a $500,000 purse, the race was the richest ever for three-year-old Thoroughbreds.

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