Month: May 2018

FIELDS DRAWN FOR LOUISIANA LEGENDS NIGHT AT EVANGELINE DOWNS

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THE NINE-RACE PROGRAM OFFERS TOTAL PURSES EXCEEDING $600,000

 

OPELOUSAS, LA – Evangeline Downs will be hosting Louisiana Legends Night this coming Saturday featuring the best Louisiana-bred horses currently in training competing against each other. There will be eight stakes races on the nine-race card with total purses of $600,000.

 

The $100,000 Classic for three-year-olds and up is the highlight event on Louisiana Legends Night with a field of seven going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The 8-5 morning-line favorite is Mobile Bay, who has won five consecutive stakes races entering Saturday night. Diego Saenz, who was aboard for all five of those victories, will have the riding assignment for trainer Victor Arceneaux. The Karl Broberg trainee, Social Misfit, is the 3-1 second choice following a win and a third in his last two starts at Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma.

 

The $75,000 Distaff for fillies and mares three-year-olds and up will feature a field of eight going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The field includes Pacific Pink, who is the defending Distaff champion and the 9-5 morning-line favorite. Colby Hernandez, who piloted the mare to victory in 2017, will once again be aboard for trainer Edward Johnston. Pacific Pink has won five of six lifetime starts over the Evangeline Downs oval and ran second in her only defeat. The 3-1 second choice in the Distaff is Mr. Al’s Gal from the barn of Justin Jeansonne. The four-year-old filly won multiple stakes races in 2017, but has yet to win in three starts in 2018.

 

Evangeline Downs has had a successful return of turf racing in 2018 and two of the Louisiana Legends stakes races will be run on the grass Saturday night. The $50,000 Starter for three-year-olds and up will be at one mile on the turf and the 17-time winner, Well’s Gold, from the barn of Karl Broberg has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the field of nine. The $75,000 Turf , also for three-year-olds and up, will be at 1 1/16 miles and drew a field of six. The 9-5 morning-line choice is Extra Credit, who is trained by Brad Cox and will be ridden on Saturday by Shaun Bridgmohan.

 

Three-year-olds always step to the forefront of racing in the spring and there will be two races on Louisiana Legends Night exclusively for that age group. The $75,000 Cheval for colts and geldings will be run at one mile over the main track and the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the field of seven is Battle At Sea, who won the Crescent City Derby at Fair Grounds in his last start on March 24. The $75,000 Soiree at one mile on the main track for fillies features a field of eight and the 8-5 morning-line choice is Testing One Two, who prevailed in her last try at Fair Grounds in the Crescent City Oaks, also on March 24.

 

The sprinters have their moments to shine on Louisiana Legends Night as well. The $75,000 Mademoiselle for fillies and mares three-year-olds and up will be at five and one-half furlongs and the 3-1 morning-line favorite is the Larry Jones trainee, Ours To Run, who won the $120,000 Matron on Premier Night at Delta Downs. The $75,000 Sprint for three-year-olds and up at five and one-half furlongs drew a full field of twelve with two also-eligibles. The 3-1 favorite is Monte Man, who is undefeated in three 2018 starts, winning two stakes races in that streak.

 

In addition to the exciting racing action, Louisiana Legends Night also includes some legendary Louisiana riders on hand for an autograph session from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame riders, Eddie Delahoussaye and Randy Romero, will be among those signing autographs. Ray Sibille, who won the George Woolf Award and is a current trainer at Evangeline Downs and Mark Guidry, a member of the Louisiana Hall of Fame and a current steward at Evangeline Downs will also be taking part.

 

Post time for the nine-race Louisiana Legends Program on Saturday night will be 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 at www.prnewswire.com.  Additional news and information can be found at www.boydgaming.com, or www.evangelinedowns.com.

Ask Your Veterinarian: What Heart Scans Can Tell You, And What They Can’t

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by | 05.21.2018 | 6:34pm

Secretariat, who was known for having an abnormally large heart

QUESTION: Some buyers at the upper end of the auction market are now including heart scans as part of their pre-sale vetting process. What can these scans tell buyers, and what don’t they tell us?

ANSWER: Heart scans, also known as echocardiograms, are used to create ultrasonographic images of the heart. Echocardiography allows visualization of the entirety of the heart. This includes the cardiac walls and interventricular septum (composed of cardiac muscle), the valves and chambers within the heart, and the large vessels that carry blood to and away from the heart.  Ultrasound facilitates accurate measurement of these cardiac structures and can be performed at different phases of the cardiac cycle (such as systole and diastole). By examining the heart throughout the cardiac cycle, determination of cardiac function indicators can be made. Some of these indicators of cardiac function include stroke volume, cardiac output, fractional shortening, and end-diastolic volume.

Many of us are familiar with racehorses storied to have famously large hearts—Secretariat and Eclipse being two primary examples. It has been theorized that the successes of these two legendary horses can be credited to the size of this organ. And there is reason to conclude that this is the case. The left ventricle is the most muscular cardiac chamber and is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood coming directly from the lungs out through the aorta to be delivered to the rest of the body. In human athletes that are trained for either endurance or strength, there is evidence that thickening (hypertrophy) of the left ventricular wall can occur with training. This structural change can lead to increases in stroke volume and cardiac output, which ultimately enhance a person’s oxygen carrying capacity. Studies have also demonstrated that these structural changes can occur in equine athletes in response to training. Electrocardiography was used in the 1970s to demonstrate that increased cardiac size is related to enhanced athletic performance.

Heart scans have become an important component of the sales process. The veterinarians who perform these scans have measured a large number of equine hearts and have as such amassed a large database of information. This information can be used to make recommendations on both the athletic and breeding potential for a horse. Because much of this data is proprietary information, there is a paucity of recent peer-reviewed literature available on the subject. However, many who have pursued this purchasing strategy have encountered success in using it. It must be emphasized that evaluating the heart in isolation from the rest of the body is really just “one piece of the puzzle”. The athletic potential of a sales horse often includes analysis of other factors, including genetics and musculoskeletal conformation, before a recommendation is made.

The use of echocardiography in horses is not limited to assessing athletic potential. Echocardiography is a critical tool in evaluating a horse’s heart for cardiac pathology. When performed for this reason, a heart scan is typically completed by a cardiologist or internal medicine specialist. The aim of an echocardiographic examination in this scenario is to gather information that will allow for diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Common indications for this type of heart scan include valvular leakage, stretching of the cardiac walls, and congenital defects. While any of these abnormalities can certainly affect athletic potential, they can also interfere with a horse’s longevity and even a horse’s safety to ride due to a potential for collapse. Just as in heart scans performed in a sales setting, the echocardiogram can be used by a specialist as “one piece of the puzzle”. Other diagnostic tools, such as physical examination, electrocardiography, and exercise testing, will aid a veterinarian in tracking progression of disease and formulation of a treatment plan.

Dr. Bill Gilsenan received his veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Following an internship at Colorado State University, he completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at the New Bolton Center—University of Pennsylvania. He became board certified in large animal internal medicine in 2012. He held a faculty position at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine until joining the staff at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital as an internal medicine specialist in 2015.

Marlon St. Julien Undergoes Spinal Surgery After Prairie Meadows Incident

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by | 05.21.2018 | 2:32pm

Marlon St. Julien

Jockey Marlon St. Julien, 46, was involved in a serious spill on Saturday at Prairie Meadows, reports drf.com. In the ninth race, his mount Carbaugh was interfered with at the start and St. Julien went down hard.

“He went headfirst into the ground,” said his agent, Bobby Dean.

On Sunday, St. Julien underwent spinal surgery to fuse the C5 and C7 vertebrae, in an attempt to keep the pressure of his discs off his spinal cord. The rider was on a ventilator on Sunday, and his range of motion is under evaluation.

The rider of 2,468 winners with earnings just shy of $47 million, St. Julien has won multiple graded stakes races over the course of his career.

Read more at drf.com.

Two Scholarships to be Awarded at Louisiana Legends Night

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Media Contact:
Julie Calzone
(337) 235-2924 ext. 18
LTBA Contact:
Roger Heitzmann
(504) 947-4676
Two Scholarships to be Awarded at Louisiana Legends Night
OPELOUSAS, La. – Louisiana Legends Night will take place on Saturday, May 26, at Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel in Opelousas, La. The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will award a total of two (2) scholarships, each valued at $1,000, during the event.
The requirements for the scholarship are as follows:
  • Must be a college student enrolled full-time for Fall 2018.
  • Must be in good standing with the college or university.
  • Must be present to win at the Winner’s Circle when the announcement is made.
  • Must have college ID and government-issued ID.
For Louisiana Legends Night:
  • Registration: 4:40 p.m. – 5:40 p.m. at the designated booth
  • Races begin: 5:40 p.m.
  • Drawing Time: The scholarships will be awarded after the fifth race. The scholarship will be deposited directly into the student’s account at the college or university. The student is asked to know the name and address of the college that they are attending.
For more information, please call 1-800-772-1195 or visit louisianabred.com.

Obituary: Billy Cannon

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Billy Cannon passed away peacefully in his home early Sunday morning, May 20, 2018, LSU announced. He was 80 years old.

A Baton Rouge native, Cannon was the winner of the 1959 Heisman Trophy as a halfback, and led the Tigers to the 1958 national championship. He was a longtime member of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Assoc.

He was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1975 and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He was named LSU Alumnus of the Year in 2010.

“There may be no other figure in LSU sports who was more beloved and revered,” LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said. “His loss will be felt across the world today. The LSU family mourns with the Cannon family. He will always be a Tiger and will always be in our memories.”

“To say that Billy Cannon was legendary is an understatement,” LSU President Dr. F. King Alexander said. “His talent catapulted LSU Athletics into the national limelight, but more than that, he had unwavering commitment to his alma mater. He will forever remain a part of the LSU legacy throughout the nation.”

A private ceremony for Cannon is planned for early this week, according to LSU Athletics. Details for a public remembrance will also be announced.

The Cannon family asks that donations be made to Johnny Robinson’s Boys Home and the Tiger Athletic Foundation Billy Cannon Endowed Scholarship in lieu of flowers.

“Billy Cannon was LSU football through and through. He was a legend. He will be missed and never forgotten,” LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron said.

Cannon Family statement:

“Today is profoundly sad for all of us. We know the thoughts and prayers of so many who were touched by my father’s life are with him and with us. There are no words to express how grateful we are for the outpouring of support from all over the country. It is overwhelming and comforting.”

“LSU meant more to our dad than anyone could ever know. It wasn’t the awards or the acknowledgements on the football field. It was always the love of the LSU family that meant the world to him and to all of us. There is simply no other place on earth where so many come together to love and support their own like LSU. His life was intertwined with the purple and gold, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Obituary: Allen J. “Pummy” Guillotte, Jr.; Services to be held Tuesday, May 22

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Allen Joseph Guillotte Jr., a native of St. Mary Parish, longtime former resident of Franklin, and a resident of Kentwood for the past 17 years, passed away at the age of 71 on Thursday, May 17, 2018, at his home. Pummy, as he was affectionately known, was a Horseman through and through. His passion in life was breeding and racing Thoroughbred Horses. Most of his days were spent caring for his horses and managing his 75 acre Horse Farm.

Those he leaves to cherish his memory include his son, Steven Gerard Guillotte and his wife Mindy of Metairie; granddaughter, Kaitlyn Guillotte of Hammond; his longtime companion, Judy Simoneaux of Kentwood; one brother, Ronnie Paul Guillotte of Baldwin; one sister, Connie G. Darden and her husband Oneil of Charenton; three step-children, Bethany Kuhlman and her husband Marc of Franklin, Shay Brasseaux and her husband Chris of Franklin, and Joseph Simoneaux and his wife Candie of Kentwood; step-grandchildren, Marcus Kuhlman, Sarah Kuhlman, Ty Brasseaux, Myles Brasseaux, and Selene Simoneaux; one nephew, Oneil Darden Jr; two nieces, Tricia Mestayer and Pamela Darden; and his former wife, Elizabeth Blanchard.

He was preceded in death by wife, Virginia Tyler Guillotte; his parents, Allen J. GuillotteSr. and Thelma Hebert Guillotte; and two sisters, Pamela Guillotte (infant) and Patricia G. Mora.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Baldwin on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, beginning at 9:00 a.m. with a Mass of Christian Burial being celebrated at 11:00 a.m., with Fr. Cedric Sonnier officiating. Following the Mass he will be laid to rest in the Sacred Heart Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Ronnie Guillotte, Oneil Darden Jr., Mickey Michel, David LeBourgeois, Marc Kuhlman, and Marcus Kuhlman. Honorary pallbearers will be Joseph Simoneaux, Tony Scelfo, Barney Core, Paul Labiche, and Jules Hebert.

Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, LA 70538, (337) 828-5426.

VISITATION

Tuesday, May 22
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM   

Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church

414 Martin Luther King Jr. St. Baldwin, LA 70514

 

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL

Tuesday, May 22
11:00 AM   

Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church

414 Martin Luther King Jr. St. Baldwin, LA 70514

Supreme Court Opens State Sports Betting Flood Gates, Sen. Hatch Offers Federal Framework

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May 14, 2018

Today the Supreme Court released its opinion in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, rejecting the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a federal statute which effectively banned sports gambling in most state jurisdictions.  In a six to three opinion, the high court reversed a 2016 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which upheld the federal law.  Importantly, the court affirmed Congress’s authority to regulate sports betting directly.  However, the court struck PASPA on the grounds that the statute infringed on a state’s ability to “authorize” gambling within its jurisdiction, thereby violating the constitutional principle of “dual sovereignty.”  The court states that in the event Congress doesn’t place direct regulations on gambling, then states are free to enact betting laws as they see fit.

While today’s decision gives the green light for individual states to move forward with sports gambling schemes, Congress was quick to offer a legislative fix to address the role of the federal government in sports gambling activity.  Not long after the release of the Supreme Court decision, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) announced that he plans to introduce legislation that he states will remedy a “patchwork” of state laws that won’t adequately protect the “integrity of sports.”  As an original sponsor of PASPA when it was enacted in 1992, Sen. Hatch states that his legislation will “protect consumers, safeguard against underage and problem gambling, and help states who choose not to permit sports betting within their borders.”

“Until today, pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing has been the only legal form of sports wagering available throughout most of the United States at both physical locations and online. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled PASPA unconstitutional, states are free to regulate sports betting as they see fit. Horse racing must rise to the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by this expansion of sports betting,” stated Alex Waldrop, Chairman of AHC’s Racing Committee and President of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

AHC will provide a more detailed analysis of the Supreme Court decision and legislative responses during the days ahead.  To view a copy of the Supreme Court decision, please click here:  https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/16-476_dbfi.pdf.  To view a copy of Sen. Hatch’s (R-UT) announcement for a federal framework for sports gambling, please click here: https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ID=02C2FD7A-6D68-40B9-8002-BA458CF4DD4F

Indigo Girl Dies

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INDIGO GIRL 07Premier Night Matron
Indigo Girl winning the 2007 Louisiana Premier Night Matron Stakes at Delta Downs. Coady Photography.

It is with great sadness Randy Davis & Associates, Inc. announced the recent death of multiple stakes winning mare Indigo Girl. Sired by Leestown out of Sister of Soul (Bluebird), Indigo Girl won 8 stakes races from 2-6 years in addition to several 2nds and 3rds in stakes company. With total winnings of $486,000 she was Leestown’s leading female earner.
Farm Manager Sandra Coffman is raising the 30 day old orphaned Tizway filly Indigo left behind at Mathews Farm in Benton.
Indigo Girl was a crack sprinter, but was able to harness her speed to win a stakes going a flat mile. She was trained exceptionally by Sam Breaux and was able to compile a 13-4-2 record from 25 starts.
She will be missed.

TRAINER BECKY J. LEBLANC SADDLES HER FIRST WINNER MONDAY, MAY 14 AT HARRAH’S LOUISIANA DOWNS

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Bossier City, LA – Monday, May14 was a very good day for trainer Becky LeBlanc. Just two months after getting her trainer’s license, she shipped in two horses to Harrah’s Louisiana Downs and won her first career race. On, Tuesday, May 15, she added a second win!

 

Born and raised in Sioux City, Nebraska, LeBlanc native fell in love with horses at an early age and spent her summers working and grooming at various farms. She relished the demanding work; everything from mucking stalls to cleaning tack and credited Nebraska horseman Harlan Norman for teaching her the ropes.

 

“He taught me everything I know,” said LeBlanc.

 

So after graduating from high school, LeBlanc began her pursuit of a career in the racing industry. She has been an assistant trainer since 1990, working for a number of horsemen. Owner Thomas Holyfield got to know LeBlanc when she was serving as an assistant to trainer Keith Bourgeois and encouraged her to go out on her own.

 

On March 10, she took out her trainer license and set up a 12 horse stable at Evangeline Downs. Fittingly, her first win came for Holyfield in Monday’s third race at Louisiana Downs when Opportunity Cost won the mile and one-seventy yard claiming event under jockey Thomas Pompell.

 

Track announcer John McGary recognized her achievement and tweeted that Opportunity Cost, a son of Tapit and $400,000 Keeneland sale purchase, was making his first start since October 17.

 

LeBlanc admits the handsome gray gelding didn’t always keep his focus, but ran a very good race Monday, sustaining his lead against the race favorite.

 

“He’s a big feeler in the barn,” LeBlanc said. “He likes to bite and play, but that’s what makes him happy!”

 

One day after winning her first career race, LeBlanc returned to the Bossier City racetrack and scored with another horse owned and bred by Holyfield. She’screative, a filly by Creative Cause, captured Tuesday’s fourth race, a $17,500 optional allowance claimer. Pompell was in the saddle as she drew off to a 2 ¼ length victory.

 

“She’s my baby girl,” admitted LeBlanc. “After breaking her maiden in her first start, she won the D.S. Shine Young Futurity (at Evangeline Downs). She ran her little heart out on Tuesday.”

 

LeBlanc, 48, married her husband, retired jockey Kirk LeBlanc in 2011. The former top rider on the Louisiana circuit is now a jockey agent at the Opelousas, Louisiana racetrack and handles the business for riders Pompell and Alfredo Contreras.

 

After cooling out her filly Tuesday afternoon, LeBlanc loaded both horses for the four-hour trip back to Evangeline. No big celebrations were planned as she recognizes that winning two races back-to-back is not the norm for a new trainer.

 

“It was a big step, and I wasn’t sure I was ready,” acknowledged LeBlanc. “But this was a very nice two days!  I’ve been blessed.”

 

Simulcast of the 143rd Preakness Stakes on Saturday

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs will offer an exciting afternoon of racing on Saturday, May 19 with seven live races and the simulcast of the 143rd Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Fans can watch and wager as Justify, conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert goes for the second jewel in Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.

 

Post Time for the first live race at Louisiana Downs is 3:15pm! The full card at Pimlico will be simulcast with the Preakness scheduled to run at 5:20 pm(Central). The Harrah’s Club will offer an All You Can Eat Buffet for just $39.99 this Saturday. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 800-551-7223 or 318-752-6367.

 

Trainer, Jockey and Owner Standings

Through the first eight days of the 2018 Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred season, trainer Joe O. Duhon tops his fellow conditioners with four wins. Jorge Lara, Dana Whited and Danny Pish have each saddled three winners.

 

As expected, a very tight battle for leading jockey is off and running! Four riders are tied with five wins each. Last year’s leading jockey Gerardo Mora, Richard Eramia, Eddie Martin, Jr. and Joel Dominguez are each off to a solid start for the meet.  Kevin Smith, Emanuel Nieves and Eguard Tejera follow closely with four wins.

 

Dream Walkin Farms, Inc has won three races to take the early lead in the owner standings. Brittlyn Stable Inc,, Thomas L. Holyfield, P and D Racing Stables and Lara Racing Stables, Inc. follow with two wins each.

 

Wednesday and Saturday Race Day Promotions

Louisiana Downs offers value for racing fans each Wednesday with Dollar Day. They will be able to enjoy $1 hot dogs, $1 beer at the Paddock as well as $1 programs. Saturday’s weekly promotion is the Family Four Pack featuring four hot dogs, four sodas, a program, and a box seat for four at the affordable price of just $16.

 

The Total Rewards program is free for horseplayers. With the swipe of their card each Saturday, members will receive valuable incentives.  These include:

  • Play $250 or more to receive a 5X multiplier
  • Play $1,000 or more to receive a 7X multiplier
  • Play $5,000 or more to receive a 10X multiplier

Participant’s multiplier cannot exceed a total balance of more than one hundred thousand (100,000) Reward Credits during one promotional day after the multiplier is applied.

About Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.

For further information, please contact:

Trent McIntosh  |  Assistant General Manager
O 318-752-6980
8000 East Texas Street | Bossier City, LA 71111
www.caesars.com