Rich Lee Berwick Futurity Tops Louisiana-Bred Stakes Extravaganza at Delta Downs

Fastest qualifier Louisiana Jewels will put her undefeated mark on the line in Saturday’s 350-yard, $690,295 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) at Delta Downs.

© Coady Photography

VINTON, LA—JULY 5, 2016—Louisiana Jewels, a daughter of champion Jess Louisiana Blue racing for Eric Johnson’s Harlow Stables LLC and the fastest qualifier, will put her undefeated mark on the line in Saturday’s 350-yard, $690,295 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) at Delta Downs.

The Lee Berwick Futurity, named in honor of Delta Downs’ founder and 1994 inductee into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, is just one of seven official stakes scheduled at Delta Downs on Saturday, closing day of the track’s 46-date meet.

Louisiana Jewels is trained by Michael Taylor. A $42,000 buy at last year’s LQHBA Yearling Sale, the filly has won all three of her starts -- including the 330-yard, $298,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) on May 20, and she has earned $167,006.

Louisiana Jewels drew post 9 and will be ridden by Joe Badilla Jr. Other contenders include second-fastest qualifier Rdd Lajollanfastdash, an unbeaten gray Heza Fast Dash gelding trained by Willie Simien Jr. for owner Miguel A. Aguilar. Rdd Lajollanfastdash has also won all three of his outs, including the March 20, $273,000 Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2) at Louisiana Downs.

Rdd Lajollanfastdash was acquired for $10,000 at last year’s LQHBA Yearling Sale and has since banked $135,475. The gelding drew post 2 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments--

1. Blue Eyed Cartel (Juan C. Garcia)
2. Rdd Lajollanfastdash (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
3. Watergirl B (Gilbert Ortiz)
4. Tf Racee Runaway (John Hamilton)
5. Swinginstar (Damian Martinez)
6. Cats Last Dash (Alfonso Lujan)
7. Tellem Im Pumped (David Alvarez)
8. First Prize Bourban (Donald Watson)
9. Louisiana Jewels (Joe Badilla Jr.)
10. Shez The Bomb (J.R. Ramirez).

Delta Downs Louisiana-Bred Derby (RG3)

Douglas O. Traylor’s Telarosa is one of 10 state-bred sophomores entered back in the 400-yard, $244,430 Delta Downs Louisiana-Bred Derby (RG3) on Saturday.

Trained by Kenneth Roberts Sr., Telarosa has won both of her outs during the current Delta meet, including the 400-yard, $50,000 Vinton Stakes (R) for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds on May 14. The sorrel daughter of Jet Black Patriot drew post 6 and will be ridden by Lucas Constantin.

Roberts will also send out Jessa Louisiana Zoom, the fastest qualifier and a daughter of Jess Louisiana Blue owned by Bobby D. Cox. Jessa Louisiana Zoom won last year’s Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) and boasts earnings of $533,553 from eight outs.

Jessa Louisiana Zoom is coming off of a three-quarter length victory in the third of four trials on June 17. The filly drew the rail post and will be ridden by Donald Watson.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments--

1. Jessa Louisiana Zoom (Donald Watson)
2. Coronas Statement (Juan C. Garcia)
3. Jess Blue Intriguing (Alfonso Lujan)
4. Super Sonic Patriot (Mario Delgado)
5. Jet Black Zoomer (Antonio Alberto)
6. Telarosa (Lucas Constantin)
7. Corona And Jewels (Damian Martinez)
8. Jet Black Rogue (Joe Badilla Jr.)
9. The Renaissance Man (Gilbert Ortiz)
10. First Prize Denim (Manuel Gutierrez).

Louisiana Classic Stakes (RG2)

Also on Saturday, Open Me A Corona is the early favorite for the 440-yard, $100,000 Louisiana Classic Stakes (RG2).

Trained by Bobby Martinez for owners Charles Forbes Jr. and Tommy Hays, Open Me A Corona has won 13 of 17 starts -- including 10 stakes -- and he has earned $792,758. The 6-year-old Coronas Leaving You stallion has returned to Louisiana off of his third-place finish, a half of a length behind winner AJs High, in the 350-yard, $50,000 Eastex Stakes (G3) at Remington Park in March.

Open Me A Corona drew the rail post and will be ridden by David Alvarez.

Heza Louisiana Dash, the conqueror of Open Me A Corona on a muddy and sealed track in a 400-yard, $50,000 open-condition allowance at Delta on June 11, races for Robert Holland’s TM Ranch from the barn of trainer Kenneth Roberts Sr. A 4-year-old son of Heza Fast Dash, the gelding will be ridden by Gilbert Ortiz from post 6.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments--

1. Open Me A Corona (David Alvarez)
2. Mda Game (Alfonso Lujan)
3. Strong Guns (Joe Badilla Jr.)
4. Louisiana Legends (Manuel Gutierrez)
5. Jls Dashn And Zoomn (Antonio Alberto)
6. Heza Louisiana Dash (Gilbert Ortiz)
7. Ww Showtime (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
8. Icanonlyemagine (Donald Watson)
9. First Kiss Jitter (Damian Martinez).

Also on Saturday:

Jls Book of Psalms will try to defend his title in the 870-yard, $50,000 Live Oak Stakes (R). Racing for John Soileau’s JLS Speed Horse Ranch LLC from the barn of Lanny Keith, the homebred 5-year-old First Prize Perry gelding is coming off of a half-length win against open company in the 870-yard, $25,000 Virgil Bond Stakes at Delta on June 3.

Joel Galindo’s Scoopies Leaving You drew the rail post for the 250-yard, $50,000 Flying Breed Stakes (R). A two-time winner at this shorter distance, the 5-year-old Coronas Leaving You stallion is trained by Kevin Broussard, and he won all four of his outs during the Louisiana Downs winter meet, including the 250-yard, $15,000 Harrah’s Dash Stakes on January 9.

A field of 10 state-bred 2-year-olds has been entered back in the 350-yard, $50,000 Louisiana Juvenile Stakes (R). The lone undefeated entry, Jrs Coronas Shadow, is trained by Kenneth Roberts Sr. for owner Gary W. Hartstack. The gelded son of Coronas Leaving You has won both of his outs, including a Lee Berwick Futurity trial on June 18, and he has banked $22,800.

State-bred distaffers will match strides in the 350-yard, $50,000 Flashy Hemp Stakes (R). Vanessa Bartoo’s Oak Hill Streak, a 4-year-old Heza Fast Dash mare trained by John Stinebaugh, enters this race off of a wire-to-wire, half-length score in the 350-yard, $40,000 Louisiana Purchase Stakes (R) on May 6.

All Delta Downs races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.