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Mardi Gras Futurity Trials Draw 147 Louisiana-Bred 2-Year-Olds


The first official 2-year-old races of 2015 will take place Saturday when Louisiana Downs hosts 16 trials for the Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2).

© Lou Hodges Photography / Lynn Roberts

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

BOSSIER CITY, LA—FEBRUARY 16, 2015—The first 2-year-old racing of the 2015 season will take place at Louisiana Downs on Saturday, as a total of 147 state-breds have been entered in the track’s 300-yard $300,502 Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2) trials.

Post time for the first of 16 trials will be approximately 11 a.m. (CST). The last heat is scheduled to go off at 5 p.m.

MPS Rappin For Bux, a brown daughter of Zoomin For Bux owned by Rafael Garcia-Guerrero, will make her career debut from the rail post in the fifth trial. Trained by Willie Simien Jr., the filly prepped for her first out by winning a 220-yard training race over the track in :12.20 on January 30.

Floriberto Maldonado has been named to ride MPS Rappin For Bux in her Mardi Gras trial.

Omar Mascorro’s Fast Dashing Crystal, a homebred son of Heza Fast Dash trained by Jaime Hernandez, will make his debut off of a pair of fast morning moves. The gelding won a 220-yard training race in :12.38 at Louisiana Downs on January 30, just 15 days after he breezed 220 on a wet track at Delta Downs in :10.84, the fastest of eight works at the distance on January 15.

Martin Rubalcava will ride Fast Dashing Crystal from post 6 in the second heat.

Bonnies Own Fortune, a Game Patriot filly racing for Jacob J. Smith from the barn of Steven Salazar, will also make her debut off of a :12.38 schooling race victory. G.R. Carter Jr. will ride Bonnies Own Fortune, a $14,000 buy at last year’s LQHBA Yearling Sale, from post 6 in the ninth heat.

The fastest qualifiers from Saturday’s Mardi Gras Futurity trials will meet in the $100,000-added final on March 14. Past winners of the Mardi Gras Futurity include champion Vals Fortune (2003) and Jet Black Patriot (’08).

All Louisiana Downs can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.


Courtesy Ses