Month: May 2016

COUCHE COUCHE CRUISES TO VICTORY IN THE EQUINE SALES DERBY

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GELDING PICKS UP SECOND STAKES WIN OF EVANGELINE DOWNS SEASON

The Equine Sales Derby
Evangeline Downs, May 7, 2016
1 1/16 Miles, for 3-Year-Olds, $75,000

COUCHE COUCHE
Pulling Punches-Sassy Belle, by Doc’s Leader
Breeder: Charles Titsworth
Owner: Jerry Namy
Trainer: Karl Broberg
Jockey: Colby Hernandez

Time: 1:44.37
Margins: 2 1/2, 3,6 1/2

2nd: Ganges

3rd: Drummer Boy

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.


LIL ALLIE DANCER STEPS HER WAY TO WIN THE EQUINE SALES OAKS

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3-2 WAGERING FAVORITE RALLIES IN STRETCH TO SCORE

Equine Sales Oaks
Evangeline Downs, May 6, 2016
1 1/16 miles, for 3-Year-Old Fillies , $75,000

Lil Allie Dancer
Good and Tough-Native Gate, by Gate Dancer
Breeder:  Tom Curtis & Wayne Simpson
Owner:  Chance Yelverton
Trainer:  Sam Breaux
Jockey: Diego Saenz

Time: 1:48.24
Margins: 1 3/4, nk, 6

2nd: Flashy Appeal

3rd: Gussie’s Girl

 

OPELOUSAS, LA- Chance Yelverton’s Lil Allie Dancer thundered through the stretch to get past the pacesetters and win the $75,000 Equine Sales Oaks at Evangeline Downs on Friday night. Lil Allie Dancer came through for her first career stakes win, which was a significant improvement over a sixth-place finish in her other stakes try earlier this season in the $50,000 Cajun Miss.

 

Lil Allie Dancer was sixth early on in the Equine Sales Oaks, sitting comfortably behind a three-horse scrum for the lead involving Gussie’s Girl, Rush To Judgement, and Flashy Appeal. That trio set a decent enough pace, going 24.28 for the quarter-mile and 49.45 for the half-mile. Doin A Happy Dance, the co-second choice with Flashy Appeal, made a strong move on the far turn to loom outside the leaders, but would flatten out in the stretch. Lil Allie Dancer started to roll as the field entered the stretch and closed strongly to notch a 1-3/4 length victory in a final time of 1:41.57 for the 1 1/16 miles over the fast track.

 

Lil Allie Dancer paid $5.00 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.40 to show. Flashy Appeal finished second, returning $3.40 to place and $2.60 to show. Gussie’s Girl was third and paid $6.00 to show.

 

The win for Lil Allie Dancer was her fourth in five lifetime starts and the $45,000 first-place purse increases her lifetime earnings to $121,400. Diego Saenz was aboard for the victory and the filly is trained by Sam Breaux. She is a 3-year-old bred in Louisiana by Tom Curtis and Wayne Simpson. Lil Allie Dancer is by Good And Tough and is out of the Gate Dancer mare, Native Gate Dancer.

 

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.

 

Three Fillies Clock Fastest Time at Equine Sales Company Under Tack Show

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A trio of Louisiana-bred fillies worked an eighth-mile in :10 1/5 on Sunday to tie for the fastest time during the under tack show for the Equine Sales Company 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale in Opelousas, Louisiana. Videos of the workouts, along with the sale catalogue, are available at www.equinesalesofla.com. The auction is set for this Tuesdayat 11 a.m. and will be live-streamed on the sale company’s website.
            “We had a good crowd on hand for the breeze show and this was the first year we live-streamed it online, so we had many more watching around the country,” said Sales Director Foster Bridewell. “The catalogue looked very strong on paper, and I think that was proven on the track with some excellent workouts.”
Consigned by Pike Racing, agent, hip #28 is from the second crop of Custom for Carlos out of the winning Pollard’s Vision mare Stellar Vision, who is a half sister to Grade 3-placed runner Scarlet Starlet. Stellar Vision has one foal of racing age who has yet to race.
Hip #76, named Shamrock Star and consigned by Benchmark Training Center Inc., agent, is from the first crop of four-time Louisiana Horse of the Year Star Guitar out of the winning Eugene’s Third Son mare Indian Treaty, who also has one foal of racing age that has yet to race. Indian Treaty is a half sister to Texas champion and three-time stakes winner There Goes Rocket.
Hip #98, consigned by Boutte Sales, agent, is a daughter of Greeley’s Galaxy named Just Kylie. Her dam, Just Alex, is a winning daughter of Afternoon Deelites and a half sister to two stakes winners.
All graduates of the sale are eligible for the Equine Sales Derby and Equine Sales Oaks, which will be run next spring at Evangeline Downs for $75,000 apiece at 1 1/16 miles. The inaugural runnings of those races were held this past Friday and Saturday with Jerry Namy’s Couche Couche taking the Derby and Chance Yelverton’s Lil Allie Dancer winning the Oaks.

 

Equine Sales Company 2YO In Training Sale; 101 Catalogued; Breeze Show to be Streamed Live

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EQUINE SALES COMPANY

 

2016 TWO YEAR OLD IN TRAINING SALE

WITH RACE AGE HORSES

101 CATALOGED

SALE DATE: MAY 10, 2016 – 11:00 AM

BREEZE SHOW: MAY 8, 2016 – 10:00 AM

 

The BREEZE SHOW will be streamed live on Sunday, May 8, 2016.  You can view it by clicking the following link.

http://www.horseshowwebcasts.com/shows/2016/27027/index.shtml

 

Equine Sales Company would like to invite you to attend the Breeze Show which will be held on Sunday, May 8, 2016, beginning at 10:00 o’clock AM. The sale horses will work on Copper Crowne Training Center’s state of the art training track which is licensed by the Louisiana State Racing Commission. There will be a viewing stand and teletimer located at the finish line for your comfort and convenience. Refreshments will be available.

 

Dilion Video will have the works available for viewing late Sunday afternoon and will continue playing throughout the day, in the Equine Sales Company pavilion located at 372 Harry Guilbeau Road, Opelousas, LA. They will also be available on the internet at http://www.equinesalesofla.com and on a CD that you can pick up for your personal use.

EQUINE SALES OAKS to be run Friday, May 6, 2016 and EQUINE SALES DERBY to be run Saturday, May 7, 2016 at EVANGELINE DOWNS RACETRACK

Equine Sales Company would like to wish all of the connections in the running of these two races the best of luck.

All two year olds that pass through the 2016 Two Year Old in Training Sale will be eligible for the 2017 Equine Sales Oaks and the Equine Sales Derby.

EVANGELINE DOWNS RACETRACK AND CASINO AND EQUINE SALES COMPANY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND OUR PRE-SALE PARTY TO BE HELD AT EVANGELINE DOWNS RACETRACK & CASINO IN MOJO’S SPORTS BAR

DATE:  MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016

TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Hors d’ oeures will be served * CASH bar

Videos of the Breeze Show held on Saturday, May 8, 2016, will be played during the party.

 

2016 September Yearling Sale will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Consignment contracts are available on our website at www.equinesalesofla.com

or 2016 Consignor Select Yearling consignment contract.

 

 

No Shortage of Louisiana Connections in the 2016 Kentucky Derby

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As always, Louisiana native sons are scheduled to ride in the run for the roses on the first Saturday in May.

 

Kent Desormeaux on Exaggerator

Robby Albarado on Oscar Nominated (#13 on leaderboard)

B.J. Hernandez, Jr. on Tom’s Ready (#16 on the leaderboard)

Corey Lanerie on Mo Tom (#20 on the leaderboard)

 

Trainers from Louisiana also figure into this year’s Derby equation.

Keith Desormeaux (with brother Kent in the irons) trains Exaggerator

Dallas Stewart, who was raised in Louisiana trains Tom’s Ready

Tom Amoss, a native of New Orleans is the trainer of Mo Tom

 

New Orleans sports magnate Tom Benson, not satisfied with simply owning New Orleans Saints football franchise and New Orleans Pelicans basketball team has ventured into horse racing with G M B Racing; owner of both Tom’s Ready and Mo Tom.

If these aren’t enough reasons for Louisiana racing fans to be swept up with Derby fever, Gun Runner won the G2 Louisiana Derby and the G2 Risen Star Stakes at New Orleans Fair Grounds, and Exaggerator won the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot.

Thanks to Horsemen, House Bill 986 Withdrawn

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Thanks to the involvement of Horsemen, House Bill 986 was voluntary withdrawn on Monday May 2, 2016. The dedicated Video Poker funds will remain in place.

Horsemen communicating with their legislators was crucial to making this happen. Roger Heitzmann III, LTBA Secretary/Treasurer expresses his gratitude, “The assistance you contributed in contacting your representatives was much needed and appreciated. Horsemen working together is the key.”

Louisiana Downs to Open 2016 Season Saturday

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The Louisiana Downs 2016 meet that opens this Saturday, May 7. The 84-date season at the Bossier City oval will run through Sept. 24.

The highlight of the season will the Super Derby, its richest race, on a card of five stakes, to be run on Sept. 10.  The program, worth a total of $700,000, will again include a pair of one-mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds, the $75,000 Sunday Silence and the $75,000 Happy Ticket. The Super Derby will be run over 1 1/8 miles, and the purse remains $400,000. In a change, the Super Derby will be contested as a Grade 3 race this year after holding Grade 2 status last season, when it was won by Mobile Bay.

Louisiana Downs will group seven stakes together Aug. 6 for the annual Louisiana Cup. There will be six divisional stakes for horses bred in Louisiana, led by the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic and the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff. The program also includes the $100,000 Prelude, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds that serves as the local prep for the Super Derby. Purses for the races will total $450,000.

Louisiana Downs will race Wednesdays through Saturdays at this meet, with special Monday cards May 30, July 4, and Sept. 5.