OPELOUSAS, LA- Jerry Namy’s Couche Couche lived up to his heavy favoritism at 1-5 and won the $75,000 Equine Sales Derby on Saturday night at Evangeline Downs. The win is the second stakes score of the season for Couche Couche, a Karl Broberg trainee who had previously won the $50,000 Ragin Cajun Stakes on April 9.

Couche Couche was unhurried early on by jockey Colby Hernandez, who allowed him to settle at the rail and save ground while Drummer Boy and Ganges set fast fractions of 22.42 for the quarter-mile and 46.79 for the half-mile. Couche Couche began to advance as the field entered the far turn and made a three-wide rally to take the lead as the field entered the stretch. He drew away to win by 2-1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:44.37 for the 1 1/16 miles over the fast track.

Couche Couche paid $2.40 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Ganges came home second, paying $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show. Drummer Boy was third and returned $2.60 to show.

The win by Couche Couche is his third in five lifetime starts and he earned $45,000 for the victory, increasing his total lifetime earnings to $108,230. The 3-year-old gelding was bred in Louisiana by Charles Titsworth. He is by Pulling Punches and out of the Doc’s Leader mare, Sassy Belle.

For more information on the Thoroughbred season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track’s website at www.evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs’ Twitter handle is @EVDRacing and the racetrack is also accessible on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.