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Old South Derby Headlines Friday Stakes Doubleheader at Delta Downs


Five-time winner Jess Adalida will look for her second stakes win in Friday's $69,552 Old South Derby at Delta Downs.

© Coady Photography

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

VINTON, LA—MAY 8, 2018—David L. Martinez’s Jess Adalida, a graded stakes winning daughter of champion Jess Louisiana Blue, drew post 5 for Friday’s 350-yard, $69,552 Old South Derby at Delta Downs.

Trained by Rodolfo Sanchez, Jess Adalida made her season debut with a three-quarter length victory as the 9-10 favorite in one of five Old South Derby trials on April 20. The filly has won five of nine starts, including last year’s 350-yard, $70,000 John Deere Retama Juvenile Challenge (G3), and she has earned $75,033. She ended her juvenile campaign with a fifth-place finish, a half of a length behind winner Three Bar Cartel, in the 400-yard, $354,000 Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) at Lone Star Park.

Jess Adalida drew post 5 and will be ridden by Luciano Duenez.

Fastest qualifier Droff, a homebred son of champion FDD Dynasty trained by Salvador Flores for owner Jorge Haddad, drew post 10 and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco. Droff outran his 16-1 odds to win the third of five Old South Derby trials against a field that included stakes winner and 2017 Firecracker Futurity (G2) finalist Sr Shambles.

. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

  1. Mighty B Grateful (Everardo Rodriguez)
  2. Sr Shambles (Jorge Linares)
  3. Down N Cruzin (Jose I. Martinez)
  4. Mystical Jess (Damian Martinez)
  5. Jess Adalida (Luciano Duenez)
  6. Sunset Run (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
  7. Stone Cold Leader (Rolando Pina)
  8. Vella Buena (Jose Davila)
  9. The Carter II (John Hamilton)
  10. Droff (Luis Vivanco)

Also on Friday, a full field of 10 middle-distance specialists has been entered in the 550-yard, $25,000 Delta 550 Stakes.

Trainer Larry Kopycinski will send out Southern Temptation, a three-time winner at the distance, for owner P & J Racing Ltd. A 6-year-old gelded son of champion Tempting Dash, Southern Temptation is coming off of a neck victory as the even-money favorite in the 550-yard, $20,000 Harris County Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on March 31.

Southern Temptation drew post 3 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon.

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

  1. No Politics Here (Noe Castaneda)
  2. Gone Cartel (Damian Martinez)
  3. Southern Temptation (Francisco Calderon)
  4. Ldn Jessasaltydog (Everardo Rodriguez)
  5. Agoutis Snowplow (Juan D. Marquez)
  6. Whosgonegirl (Julio A. Rodriguez)
  7. Let Em Fly (Donald Watson)
  8. Buds World (Gilbert Ortiz)
  9. Super Sonic Patriot (Mario Trujillo Jr.)
  10. Sixes Flash (Jose A. Rodriguez)

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


Courtesy Ses