JUMPS UP FROM A CLAIMING WIN TO A STAKES SCORE TONIGHT
OPELOUSAS, LA. � Fruition Racing LLC�s Stormdriver drew off from the competition to win the $60,000 John Henry Stakes, the Saturday feature at Evangeline Downs. Stormdriver is trained by Patrick Devereux Jr. and the winning rider was Diego Saenz, one of three victories on the Saturday program for Saenz.
Stormdriver raced in mid-pack early on before making an authoritative move at the top of the stretch and pulling away to an impressive 5 ? length victory. Even-money favorite String King did lead through the early stages, but was passed in the stretch and had to re-rally to preserve second. Skipberry Wine, a 29-1 longshot, finished third.
This was Stormdriver�s sixth win from 24 lifetime starts. The $36,000 first-prize purse increases his lifetime earnings to $194,377. He covered the 1 1/16 miles distance in 1:43.48. The John Henry Stakes was taken off the turf and run on the wet-fast main track after the Opelousas area experienced rain throughout the day.
Stormdriver is a 5-year-old horse by Discreet Cat, out of the Take Me Out mare Prom Date. The bay horse was bred in Louisiana by Tigertail Ranch.
Stormdriver was sent off at odds of 7-1 by the wagering public, paying $16.80 to win, $6.40 to place and $5.20 to show. String King paid $2.60 to place and $2.40 to show. Skipberry Wine returned $12.20 to show.
Racing resumes at Evangeline Downs on Wednesday night with a 10-race program. First post time on Wednesday evening is 5:40 pm Central Time.
For more information about the upcoming season at Evangeline Downs visit the track�s website at www.evangelinedownsracing.com <http://www.evangelinedownsracing.com> . For more details regarding this year�s $300,000 Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint race go to www.evdracing.com/turf-sprint <http://www.evdracing.com/turf-sprint> .
Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Evangeline Downs is located in Opelousas, Louisiana, just off I-49 at exit 18.
