Seven Stakes to be Contested on Saturday, August 4

 Bossier City, LA – Nominations for the annual Louisiana Cup Day at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs on Saturday, August 4 have closed with solid interest from local and nationally prominent horsemen.

The Louisiana Cup Day program will feature six divisional stakes for accredited Louisiana-breds and the $60,000 Super Derby Preludefor 3-year-olds going a mile and one-sixteenth on the main track. The winner will earn a berth to the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby on Sunday, September 2, which is the richest race of the 2018 Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred racing season.

The Super Derby Prelude closed with 22 nominations with current Louisiana Downs leading trainer Al Stall, Jr. pointing the undefeated Autumn Warrior to the stakes. Owned and bred by Robert Guidry’s Autumn Hill Farms Racing Stables Inc., the son of Orb out of the Posse mare, Kinsolving broke his maiden here on May 5 and advanced directly into stakes company. He captured the $50,000 Lafayette Stakes for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds at Evangeline Downs by an impressive margin of 6-3/4 lengths.  This will be the first start around two turns, but Stall, who has won 15 races so far this meet at Louisiana Downs, points to the pedigree of Autumn Warrior.

“He’s by Orb, who won the Kentucky Derby, and he’s got a big, long stride,” Stall told Mary Rampellini of the Daily Racing Form

Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen has nominated three runners to the Prelude. They include Dream Baby Dream, a colt by Into Mischief who ran seventh in the Grade 1, Arkansas Derby for Dream Baby Dream Stable. The lightly raced Full of Run is owned by Gary and Mary West and has made just four career starts, most notably in the Champagne Stakes last October at Belmont Park. Orbatron, a son Orb, ran fourth in the Ellis Park Juvenile for owner Lee Levinson and hit the board in each of his four starts at Lone Star Park.

Rosemont Farm’s homebred Zanesville has been nominated by trainer Tom Amoss. The son of Tiznow began his career in Kentucky, breaking his maiden earlier this year at Delta Downs. He shipped to Prairie Meadows and ran third in the $65,000 Prairie Mile on June 8. 

Analyze This Jet, who ran fourth in the Prairie Mile, has been nominated by trainer Terry Eoff   who co-owns the Kentucky-bred son of Overanalyze with Johnny Evans. He won the El Joven Stakes at Retama Park last October.

Trainer Robert Schultz has nominated Double Star for the $60,000 Prelude. Owned by Four Star Racing, the son of Star Guitar out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Bond Queen, has won four of his 12 career efforts, including two stakes earlier this year at Evangeline Downs.

Trainer Victor Arceneaux was on the fence regarding Testing One Two, a multiple-stakes winning filly by Star Guitar. .Bred and owned by Brittlyn Stable, Inc., she has won five of her eight career efforts and most recently ran a game third in the Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows.

“We have several races on the map for this filly and think very highly of her,” said Arceneaux. “I just don’t know if she’s ready to face the boys just yet.”

He indicated that Bermuda Star, a 4-year-old filly also owned by Evelyn Benoit’s Brittlyn Stable, LLC, will run in the $60,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff.

Last week, an announcement was made regarding a $10,000 purse increase for each of the Louisiana Cup Day stakes for accredited Louisiana-breds. Trainer H. B. Johnson has three runners pointed to Louisiana Cup Day, including Berniestrike, defending champion in the $60,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic. The veteran conditioner was pleased with the news.

“It’s a good thing,” said Johnson. “As local trainers, we appreciate that.”

The draw for the seven features on Louisiana Cup Day will take place on Saturday, July 28. The stakes are as follows:

$60,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile                    2 YO LA-Bred                        Six furlongs

$60,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies          2 YO Fillies LA-Bred             Six furlongs

$60,000 Louisiana Cup Filly & Mare Sprint  3 YO & Up F&M, LA-Bred  Six furlongs

$60,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint                        3 YO & Up LA-Bred              Six furlongs

$60,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic              3 YO & Up LA-Bred              1 1/16 miles (T)

$60,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff                      3 YO & Up F & M LA-Bred  1 1/16 miles (T)

$60,000 Super Derby Prelude                         3 Y0                                        1 1/16 miles

Scholarship Drawings Set for Louisiana Cup Day

The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will award two (2) scholarships, each valued at $1,000, during the event.

The drawings will be between the fifth and sixth races. The races begin at 3:15 p.m. and the student must be there to register between 2:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.at the designated registration booth.

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 at the drawing location to win.

Must have university ID number or Social Security number.

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.

Super Derby Charity Golf Tournament Set for August 23

The Super Derby Charity Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, August 23, at Querbes Golf Course in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The event will benefit Chaplain Jimmy Sistrunk & The Winner’s Circle Church, which provides assistance to the Louisiana racing community and backstretch workers. It serves as one of the special events saluting the annual Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby, the marquee race of the Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred season, set for Sunday, September 2.

Sign in for the event’s Four Person Scramble kicks off at 10:00 a.m. with tee off at 10:30 a.m.  The fee is $80 per person or $320 for a four-person team.  The fee includes green fees, golf cart, lunch, and Super Derby t-shirt/cap.

Attendees can register in person in the Louisiana Downs Racing office, or by mail. Checks should be payable to The Backside Benevolence Fund and mailed to:  Jennifer Sokol, Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, 8000 East Texas Street, Bossier City, Louisiana, 71111. 

The deadline for registration is August 16. Hole sponsorships for $100, including a sign, are available, but must be purchased by August 1.

For further information, please contact Jennifer Sokol, Louisiana Downs Racing Office Manager at (318) 741-2512.

Post Times and Stakes Schedule

Live racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Saturday with a 3:15 p.m. (Central) post time through September 27. The 84-day meet will include 14 stakes highlighted by two major events, Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 4 and Super Derby Day on Sunday, September 2.  To see a complete list of the 2018 Thoroughbred stakes schedule, click here.

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.

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