–  VIEJA LUNA CAPTURES THE ELDORADO STAKES IN FRONT RUNNING STYLE –

 

 

VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted a pair of stakes races on Friday night. The $100,000 Azalea Stakes was won by Brittlyn Stables Inc.’s Mr. Al’s Gal with jockey Richard Eramia in the saddle while the $70,000 Eldorado Stakes was annexed by Juan Francisco Landaeta’s Vieja Luna with jockey Roberto Morales at the controls.

Mr. Al’s Gal, who is trained by Justin Jeansonne, broke from the inside post position in a field of seven Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies competing at seven furlongs. The speedy runner immediately went to the lead over a track listed as sloppy following heavy rainfall that pelted the racetrack about an hour before race time. Mr. Al’s Gal was loose on the lead after carving out fractional times of 23.28 seconds for the quarter-mile, 47.73 for the half, and 1:13.63 for three-quarters.

In the second and final turn Our Millie rallied to be on even terms with the leader but could not get past her rival in the homestretch. When the wire was reached, Mr. Al’s Gal pulled 3-1/2 lengths clear of Our Millie for the decisive win. My Gal Layla finished another 3-1/4 behind in third. The final running time was 1:27.56.

The victory marked the third in four starts for Mr. Al’s Gal who also enjoyed her second consecutive stakes tally. The winner’s paycheck of $60,000 raised her lifetime bankroll to $145,280.

Bred in the Bayou State by J. Adcock & Neal McFadden, Mr. Al’s Gal is a dark bay or brown filly by Salute the Sarge out of the Spanish Steps mare Spanish Ice.

Sent to the gate at odds of thirty cents on the dollar after her 12-3/4 length win in the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds on December 31, Mr. Al’s Gal paid $2.60 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Our Millie was worth $3.60 to place and $2.60 to show. My Gal Layla paid $4.60 to show.

Vieja Luna’s win in the Eldorado, a one-mile event for 4-year-old and older fillies and mares, was the first stakes win of her career, and like Mr. Al’s Gal she did all her running all on the lead. She is trained by Jose Camejo and she earned $42,000 for her winning effort. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Street Hero out of the Dayjur mare Amaday has now won four of 19 starts overall and banked a total of $134,102.