Month: July 2016

EVANGELINE DOWNS LOWERING TAKEOUT RATE ON PICK 4 TO 12%, LOWEST IN THE NATION

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CHANGE WILL TAKE EFFECT STARTING ON JULY 20

OPELOUSAS, LA- Evangeline Downs received approval from the Louisiana Racing Commission to lower the takeout rate on their 50-cent minimum Pick 4 wagers from 25% to 12%, which will be the lowest offered in the United States. The change will begin with the Wednesday, July 20 racing program.

Evangeline Downs currently offers two 50-cent minimum Pick 4 wagers each live racing night. The Early Pick 4 begins in the first race and covers races one through four, while the Late Pick 4 covers the final four races on the program.

Chris Warren, Evangeline Downs Director of Racing, believes this change will excite the betting public, “Bettors are always looking for improved wagering opportunities and we feel that this reduction makes our 50-cent Pick 4 wagers among the most attractive in the industry right now.”

Evangeline Downs conducts live racing on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule. The Thoroughbred season continues through Saturday, August 27. Post time for each live racing night is 5:50 pm Central Time.

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

About Evangeline Downs
Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel is owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation, a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.  Boyd Gaming press releases are available at http://www.prnewswire.com.  Additional news and information can be found at http://www.boydgaming.com, or http://www.evangelinedowns.com.

LTBA Board of Directors Election Results

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July 05, 2016

 

Dear Breeder,

 

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the election for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association Board of Directors. Special thanks also go out to those of you who put their own business aside for some time in order to place their name on the ballot of 2016. The results are as follows, with the top four (4) being elected to a three (3) year term;

 

 

177 Brett Brinkman

177 Warren Harang III

162 Tom Early

137 Charlotte Stemmans Clavier

 

119 Eddie Guidry

99 Lora Pitre

 

True Ballot, as an Impartial Balloting Agency, certified that the results of the election are true and accurate, the ballots were properly counted, and rigid safeguards were maintained to protect the secrecy of the ballot. At the conclusion of the counting, all ballots and materials were placed in appropriate containers, sealed and stored by True Ballot.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Roger A. Heitzmann III

Secretary/Treasurer

STRING KING CEMENTS HIS LEGACY ON LOUISIANA LEGENDS NIGHT

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JOCKEY JOHN JACINTO SWEEPS THE LAST THREE RACES ON THE PROGRAM

 

OPELOUSAS, LA- String King defended his victory in last year’s $100,000 Louisiana

Legends Turf with another Turf win on Saturdaynight at Evangeline Downs. His rider, John Jacinto, was the riding star of the evening with three wins in a row to conclude the program. Jacinto not only won the Turf with String King, he also won the Louisiana Legends Classic with The Pickett Factor and a Louisiana-bred maiden race with Street Honor.

 

String King sat off the pace-setting pair of Hail To The Nile and Hook during the early stages of the Turf through a solid opening quarter-mile of 23.33 seconds while the half-mile was covered in 48.40 seconds. As the field entered the stretch, String King powered to the front and withstood the closing charge of 28-1 longshot, Four Leaf Chief, to prevail by one-length in a final time of 1:43.27 for the 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf course.

 

String King was bred in Louisiana by the owner-trainer, Charles Smith. The 8-year-old gelding is by Crowned King and out of the Fly A Kite mare, String Dancer. The win is the 19th victory in 43 career races for String King and the $60,000 first-place purse pushes his career earnings to $1,071,052. String King returned $5.40 to win, $3.60 to place and $3.00 to show.

 

The $125,000 Louisiana Legends Classic was indeed a classic as The Pickett Factor and Mobile Bay dueled throughout the entirety of the 1 1/16 miles. The pair set fractions of 25.39 seconds for the quarter-mile and 48.92 seconds for the half-mile and were not separated by more than a half-length at any point of the race. The Pickett Factor proved to be the stronger of the two in the stretch, however, and eventually won the Classic by a neck in a final time of 1:44.28 over the fast track.

 

The Pickett Factor is owned by Melissa Cantacuzene and trained by Ralph Irwin. The 4-year-old gelding is by Gold Tribute and out of the Dynaformer mare, Dynaspice. The victory in the Classic is his seventh in 12 lifetime starts. The $75,000 first-place purse increases his lifetime earnings to $401,890. The Pickett Factor returned $6.40 to win, $3.00 to place and $2.60 to show.

 

There were six other stakes races on the Louisiana Legends Night program. One Survivor survived a speed duel with Red Production to win the $50,000 Starter. Betting favorite Believe In Bertie went gate-to-wire to win the $100,000 Soiree on the turf. Wheatfield won the $100,000 Mademoiselle with a stirring finish to defeat the favorite, Smittys Cougar, by just a nose. Extra Credit won by the largest margin of the night with a 2-3/4 length score in the $100,000 Cheval on the grass. Believeinsomething had to dig down deep to survive a stretch duel with Forest Lake, winning the $100,000 Distaff by ¾ of a length. Jockey Alex Cortez recorded his first-ever stakes victory aboard C U Tiger in the $100,000 Sprint.

 

Evangeline Downs will resume live racing on Wednesday night with a nine-race program. There is a carryover of $4,695.67 in the Super Hi 5 wager entering the Wednesday night program. Post time on Wednesdaynight is 5:50 pm Central Time.

 

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 at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.

 

 

About Evangeline Downs

Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel is owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation, a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.  Boyd Gaming press releases are available atwww.prnewswire.com.  Additional news and information can be found atwww.boydgaming.com, or www.evangelinedowns.com.

For Your Horse’s Sake: Salt Needs More Attention During Hot Months

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Make salt a higher priority than electrolytes

 

By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

 

Your horse sweats more during the summer, making electrolyte supplementation worth considering. But electrolytes alone will not protect against dehydration. Your horse needs to have enough sodium (salt). One ounce per day (two tablespoons) is adequate for maintenance during cool months, but hot, humid weather calls for at least two ounces per day, and more if your horse is in work of any kind.

One way to accomplish this: provide a plain, white salt block, Redmond salt rock, or Himalayan salt rock in close proximity. But make sure your horse licks it; many horses do not, due to tiny scratches that form on the tongue. Even better is to offer coarsely granulated salt free choice by pouring some in a small bucket. You can also add salt to each meal. Iodized table salt and Redmond and Himalayan rocks offer a small amount of iodine. Take this into consideration if your horse already receives iodine from another source. Total iodine intake should not exceed 5 mg per day.

Be aware that electrolyte supplements should be given only to a horse that is already in good sodium balance. They are designed to replace what is lost from perspiration and should contain at least 13 grams of chloride, 6 grams of sodium, and 5 grams of potassium per dose. If your horse works more than two hours at a time, provide a dose of electrolytes after exercise by adding it to a gallon of water, top-dressing a feed, or offered via syringe. And always, be sure to keep fresh, clean water nearby.

 

Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. is an independent equine nutritionist with a wide U.S. and international following. Her research-based approach optimizes equine health by aligning physiology and instincts with correct feeding and nutrition practices.

 

Dr. Getty’s comprehensive resource book, Feed Your Horse Like a Horse, is available at www.GettyEquineNutrition.com — buy it there and have it inscribed by the author, or get it at Amazon (www.Amazon.com) or other online retail bookstores. The seven separate volumes in Dr. Getty’s topic-centered “Spotlight on Equine Nutrition” series are available with special package pricing at her website, and also at Amazon in print and Kindle versions. Dr. Getty’s books make ideal gifts for equestrians.

 

Find a world of useful information for the horseperson atwww.GettyEquineNutrition.com: Sign up for Dr. Getty’s informative, free e-newsletter, Forage for Thought; browse her library of reference articles; search her nutrition forum; and purchase recordings of her educational teleseminars. Reach Dr. Getty directly atgettyequinenutrition@gmail.com. She is available for private consultations and speaking engagements.