VINTON, LA. – In the second of a pair of stakes races hosted byDelta Downs on Tuesday afternoon, Rodney J. Verret’s Saints N Muskets took the $75,000 Magnolia, her second stakes win of the season.

The Magnolia Stakes featured a dramatic finish as the Allen Landry trainee Saints N Muskets wore down pacesetter Sarah’s Passion to score a narrow win under jockey Joe Stokes. It was her second stakes score of the season as she also won the Lookout Stakes on November 25.

After breaking from post position five in a field of six, Saints N Muskets stalked the early pace set by Sarah’s Passion, who covered the quarter mile in 23.68 seconds, the half in 48.84 and three quarters in 1:27.66. Sarah’s Passion lead by three lengths in the upper-stretch but could not hold off Saints N Muskets, who’s momentum carried her to the win by just a neck. Smok’n Rita rallied to grab third, another 4-3/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

Saints N Muskets covered the one-mile distance of the Magnolia in a time of 1:41.80.

Saints N Muskets has now won five of 16 career races. Her $45,000 paycheck on Tuesday raised to career bankroll to $181,365.

Bred in Louisiana by J. E. Jumonville, Jr. & Bunny Jumonville, Saints N Muskets is a 6-year-old dark bay or brown mare by Musket Man, out of the Vindication mare Laughing Saint.

Sent off at odds of 2-1, Saints N Muskets paid $6.60 to win, $3.80 to place and $2.80 to show. Sarah’s Passion returned $7 to place and $4 to show. Smoke’n Rita was worth $5.40 to show.

Delta Downs will continue racing on Wednesday afternoon with another nine-race program that is scheduled to begin at 12:55 pm.

 

For more information about the current season visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com. Fans can also get information about the track through Facebook by visiting the page ‘Delta Downs Racing’. The track’s Twitter handle is @deltaracing.