– JOCKEY JOE STOKES WINS FIRST TWO STAKES RACES OF THE SEASON –

 

VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted a nine-race Thanksgiving Eve program on Wednesday afternoon and jockey Joe Stokes feasted on stakes racing for the second day in a row. During Tuesday’s opening day card Stokes rode Speaktomeoflove to an exciting win in the $60,000 B Connected and on Wednesday he booted home Rodney J. Verret’s Saints N Muskets to a nice score in the featured $60,000 Lookout.

The Lookout featured a full field of 10 Louisiana-bred fillies and mares competing at seven furlongs. At the break it was Tenpins Tempo who took the lead from the rail and set a slow early pace of 24.76 seconds for the opening quarter mile before Schiff’s Corner stuck a head in front at the half-mile pole in a time of 49.32. When the field entered the upper stretch the Allen Landry-trained Saints N Muskets emerged from mid-pack to take the lead after going three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.18.

After Saints N Muskets straightened away turning for home she took off like a shot and drew clear to hit the finish line 3-3/4 lengths in front of Quikfast N Ahurry who was second. Schiff’s Corner held on for third, another length behind the runner-up. Saints N Muskets covered the distance over a wet fast track in time of 1:28.50

The win by Saints N Muskets was the fourth of her 15-race career and her first in stakes company. She earned $36,000 for the score and now owns a bankroll of $136,365.

Bred in Louisiana by J. E. Jumonville, Jr. & Bunny Jumonville, Saints N Muskets is a 5-year-old bay mare by Musket Man, out of the Vindication mare Laughing Saint.

Sent to the gate at odds of 7-1, Saints N Muskets paid $17.40 to win, $6.20 to place and $4.60 to show. Quikfast N Ahurry returned $6.80 to place and $5.20 to show. Schiff’s Corner was worth $10.80 to show.

Delta Downs will be dark on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 before closing out the opening week of its season on Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28. Post time each day will be at 12:55 pm CT. Next week the track will settle into its regular schedule of racing Mondays through Thursday until the end of the meet, April 16.

 

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.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.