
PLENTY TO CHEER ABOUT AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO 2021
The challenges that each member of the Louisiana Quarter Horse community faced in 2020 were almost insurmountable. Beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing major changes to race dates and the onslaught of Hurricanes and Tropical Storms for several months, the hits kept coming. Even on Saturday, December 19, LQHBA Louisiana Million Night, torrential rain pelted Opelousas an hour before post time. But as was the standard throughout the year, the quality horses as well as the men and women of Louisiana dug in and put on a spectacular show!Let's salute the exceptional accomplishments on closing night at Evangeline Downs as we bid goodbye to 2020 and look forward to the New Year!
Family Ties Strong for Each of the End of the Meet Winners
Jockey David Alvarez found a fitting way to cap the riding title he secured during the 2020 American Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs. He won the final three stakes races on LQHBA Million night, taking the $40,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million Invitational aboard Apollitcal Chais, the $273,763 LQHBA Breeders Derby with Lifeinthefastlanes and the $1,000,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million (RG1) on San Lorenzo. Those victories solidified a thoroughly dominating performance throughout the meet as he won 45 races, surpassing last year's leading rider Everardo Rodriguez and Juan Garcia, Jr. by 12 wins.
Born in Vera Cruz, Mexico, Alvarez,41, began riding professionally in 2006. While Texas was his base when he began, he has found his home on the Louisiana circuit. His 111 victories throughout 2020 rank him as one of the premier Quarter Horse riders in the country and he was announced as a finalist for AQHA Champion Jockey honors. He celebrated his Evangeline Downs title with his wife, Wendy and their children, David Jr., Emily and Ashley on the rainy, but joyful evening.
Trey Ellis was a deserving winner of the 2020 training title at Evangeline Downs. His horses won 24 of 102 starts to pull ahead of Lanny Keith and Kenneth Roberts, Sr. who tied for second-place in the standings with 19 wins each.
The title capped the best year of Ellis' ten-year training resumé as he was also honored at Delta Downs where he won 28 races. He finished 2020 with 63 wins, ranking fourth by wins for all North American Quarter Horse trainers. On a personal note, Ellis popped the question to Courtney Dugas, and they will marry this Spring!!!
Family ties were also on display when Rosendo Valdez won his first leading owner title. His horses are trained by his son, Rosendo Valdez, Jr. and they won ten of their 26 starts at Evangeline Downs. The entire Valdez family (six son and three daughters) are involved in the Valdez racing operation and each of them were on hand for the presentation on December 19.
History Making Run by San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo, under David Alvarez, won his second million-dollar futurity of the year by defeating Fast Dashin Diamond by a neck to capture the $1,000,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity(RG1) at Evangeline Downs on the final night of the meet.
Trainer Hector Alcala saddled the son of champion sire Coronas Leaving You to his fourth win in six starts this season for owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr. San Lorenzo won the $1,025,782 Lee Berwick Futurity(RG1) in August and was a finalist in the Laddie Futurity in July. The bay colt concluded his 2-year-old campaign with earnings of $993,940.
It was a very emotional post-race interview for LQHBA Champion owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr., who paid homage to the brilliance of San Lorenzo as a champion as well as his pedigree. The colt was bred by Jim and Natalie Montgomery of Pineville. Natalie was also the breeder of 2015 AQHA Champion Aged Stallion Open Me a Corona, a LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate who won 16 of his 21 career races, retiring with earnings of $929,150.
"San Lorenzo is our last Louisiana-bred out of In the Open," said Natalie. "He reminds us so much of Open Me a Corona, who also put it all out there in each race he ran."
The longtime supporter of Louisiana breeding and racing, Natalie is a veterinarian and has served on the LQHBA Board of Directors for six years.
"This was a very tough year for our industry and our LQHBA Yearling Sale," acknowledged Montgomery. "Our board met and had some very intense discussions about keeping the LQHBA Louisiana Million as a million-dollar futurity. We were on the same page in retaining the purse as it is a goal that everyone in our state is aiming for."
Pride and perseverance of Louisiana breeders, owners, trainers and jockeys will continue when the 46-day Louisiana Downs Quarter Horse racing season begins on Saturday, January 23. The Shreveport racetrack hosts the first "official" futurity of the year, with trials for the $100,000-Added Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2) set for March 6 and the final on March 27.
"If we can survive this year, we can survive anything," added Montgomery.
Hats off to each of the hard-working men and women in the Louisiana racing community. We look forward to 2021 and wish you all a healthy and successful year ahead!
The LQHBA Insider is a monthly feature written by Martha Claussen for www.lqhba.com. She served as publicity director at Sam Houston Race Park for ten years. She continues to be active in writing, fan education and Quarter Horse racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana and other regions in North America.
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LOUISIANA DOWNS RACE DAYS
JANUARY 9TH TO MARCH 30TH, 2024 - LOUISIANA DOWNS RINGS IN 2022
- HOPES AND DREAMS FOR THE MILLION
- LQHBA YEARLING SALE GRADS IMPRESS
- BACK TO THE TRACK!
- JOCKEY BRYAN CANDANOSA
- DOUBLING UP IN THE LASSIE AND LADDIE FUTURITIES
- FILLIES FOREVER FOR OWNERS JASON RICHARDS AND MICHAEL LEBLANC
- LOUISIANA DOWNS MEMORIES
- MOVING INTO MARCH!
- SCHOOLING RACES REAP MAJOR BENEFITS
- PLENTY TO CHEER ABOUT AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO 2021
- DOUBLE THE THRILLS FOR BREEDER BUTCH STEVENS
- 2020 LQHBA SALE FUTURITY CHAMPION A DOUBLE CORONA
- OFF AND RUNNING AT EVANGELINE DOWNS
- ALL AMERICAN SUCCESS FOR HART FARMS
- ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR TRAINER TREY ELLIS
- EXCITING FINALS SET FOR THE LASSIE AND LADDIE FUTURITIES
- GRATEFUL FOR THE RETURN OF LIVE RACING
- LARRY FINDLEY, DVM
- FINDING HOPE THROUGH OUR CHALLENGE
- J & J STABLES HOPING TO WIN THE FIRST OFFICIAL FUTURITY OF THE YEAR
- SCHOOL IS NOW IN SESSION!
- YOUNG TRAINERS START THE NEW YEAR WITH FIRST STAKES SCORES
- FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR NO FREIGHT IN THE LQHBA LOUISIANA MILLION
- LQHBA LOUISIANA MILLION TRIALS ARE COMING!
- EVANGELINE DOWNS OFF AND RUNNING!
- NOT TWO, BUT THREE RODRIGUEZ BROTHERS!
- LQHBA SALE FUTURITY SURPRISES
- TRAINER ROBI MECHE
- CATCHING UP WITH CHRIS WARREN
- LOOKING AHEAD TO THE LASSIE AND LADDIE FUTURITIES
- ONE IN THE BOOKS; THREE MORE TO GO!
- TEAM TF SHEZ JESS DASHIN READY FOR MARDI GRAS FUTURITY
- GRANT FARMS HONORED AS 2018 AQHA CHAMPION BREEDER
- THE TALENT AND DEDICATION OF OUR LOUISIANA TRACK PHOTOGRAPHERS
- MEMORABLE FIRST YEAR IN LOUISIANA FOR JOCKEY LUIS VIVANCO
- TRAINER JOSUE HUITRON
- BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR SPRING HILL FARMS
- SANCHEZ BROTHERS UNITE WITH POWERFUL QUARTET
- TEN DAYS IN THE BIG EASY
- LEE BERWICK FUTURITY
- FABULOUS FRESHMAN SIRE FIVE BAR CARTEL
- JOCKEY EDDIE SANCHEZ
- ALMOST DELTA TIME!
- GEARING UP FOR THE MARDI GRAS FUTURITY
- TRACK ANNOUNCER JOHN McGARY
- JOCKEY EVERARDO RODRIGUEZ
- MEMORIES FROM MILLION DOLLAR FUTURITY WINNING TRAINERS AND JOCKEYS
- IMPACT OF WINNING A MILLION DOLLAR FUTURITY LASTS A LIFETIME
- JOCKEY AGENTS: HARD WORKING UNSUNG HEROES
- STEVE HOLLAND – STRONG SUPPORTER OF LOUISIANA RACING
- THE WINS KEEP COMING FOR KENNETH ROBERTS, SR.
- YOUNG OWNER ROGELIO MARQUEZ JR. SAVORING DREAM YEAR
- HALFWAY MARK OF THE YEAR AND MUCH MORE TO COME!
- LYLE GUILLORY, OWNER, BREEDER AND LQHBA PRESIDENT
- TRAINER ORLANDO OROZCO
- JOCKEY DAMIAN MARTINEZ
- NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR LOUISIANA
- LOUISIANA DOWNS GETS THE RACING YEAR STARTED
- REFLECTIONS FROM THE WINNING CONNECTIONS OF THE LQHBA BREEDERS' FUTURITY (RG1)
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RDD LAJOLLANFASTDASH SETS SIGHTS ON THE
$1 MILLION RG1 LQHBA BREEDERS FUTURITY - WHAT WE DID ON OUR SUMMER VACATION
- MOTHER NATURE HAS CHALLENGED LOUISIANA HORSEMEN IN 2016
- KENNETH ROBERTS, SR.
- CARRY ON TEE
- STRONG JOCKEY COLONY AT DELTA DOWNS
- INCOMING LQHBA PRESIDENT JULIEN 'BUTCH' STEVENS III
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LEVERNE PERRY
A LOUISIANA LEGEND BELOVED BY ALL - LQHBA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: SERVING YOUTH IS A WINNER!
- PROUD CONNECTIONS BEHIND OPEN ME A CORONA, 2015 AQHA CHAMPION AGED STALLION
- RYAN ROBICHEAUX: TAKING LOUISIANA BREEDING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
- JOCKEY GILBERT ORTIZ CELEBRATES HIS 3,000TH CAREER WIN IN A VERY MEMORABLE WEEKEND
- LQHBA Fall Mixed Sale, Move to Opelousas Well Received By All
- 2015 LQHBA Fall Mixed Sale, Move to Opelousas WellReceived By All
- ANNOUNCER MICHAEL CHAMBERLAIN
- JOCKEY ALFONSO LUJAN
- AUCTIONEER KEITH BABB
- JOCKEY WIVES STANDING BESIDE THE MEN THEY LOVE
- TRAINER KENNETH ROBERTS, SR.
- BREEDER RUSSELL MOWAD
- TRACK ANNOUNCER DON STEVENS
- TRAINER BOBBY TOUCHET
- JOCKEY JOHN HAMILTON