Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeder Association

News - Preview April 18, 2024

Competitive Field Set For Saturday’s $25,000 Mr Jess Perry (RG3) At Louisiana Downs

CB Racing Stables RF Fast N Dash Jess has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Saturday's $25,000 Mr Jess Perry (RG3) at Louisiana Downs.

© Coady Photography

BOSSIER CITY, LA –FEBRUARY 8, 2023–The first stakes of the 2023 Louisiana Downs Quarter Horse meet will be contested on Saturday, February 11 when nine Louisiana-breds will compete in the $25,000 Mr Jess Perry (RG3).

CB Racing Stables RF Fast N Dash Jess has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Claimed for $10,000 last August, the 4-year-old gelding by One Sweet Jess exits a gate-to-wire victory in $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Derby (RG3) on December 17 at Evangeline Downs. Arturo Alvarez has the return call for trainer Xavier Scott, who was pleased with the way his charge finished his 2022 campaign.

"He’s a very sound horse and was running very well toward the end of last year," said Scott. "The Mr Jess Perry will be a good test for him; his last two races were at 400 yards, but he’s also won at 350 yards."

Breaking from the rail in the 350-yard dash for 4-year-olds and up is Rogelio Marquez Jr.'s Hezaa Fast Boy. The 6-year-old son of Heza Fast Dash won three stakes last season, including the 440-yard, $70,000 Louisiana Classic Stakes (RG2) at Delta Downs. He drew the rail post and will be ridden by Rolando Cabrera. Trainer Jesus Marquez, the uncle of LQHBA Champion owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr., reports that the bay gelding is training well for his Louisiana Downs debut.

"He competed in six stakes last year and looked really good winning the Opelousas Stakes (G3) last November at Evangeline Downs," said Marquez. "We are not sure how he will handle the rail, but we look forward to running him on Saturday."

Three-time leading Louisiana Downs conditioner Trainer Jose Carrizales is looking forward to saddling Jj Heza Fast Dash Jr, who will break from post position four under jockey Ricardo Hernandez, Jr. J & J Stables, LLC (Juan J. Bazaldua and Jesus E. Del Bosque) bred and own the 5-year-old gelding out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Forever Real. The 5-year-old gelding is a two-time stakes winner and ran a game second to Tuckers Prize here on January 21.

"We really liked his performance in that allowance," said Carrizales. "This is a horse who usually runs his best when he is in between horses, so he drew well. "Hezaa Fast Boy beat us at 400 yards, but if our horse gets away well, we feel that he has a big chance."

Another capable son of One Sweet Jess is Denalia Sweet Jess, who makes his 14^th lifetime start and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez, Jr. The 5-year-old is owned by Jose H. Rodriguez. Trained earlier in his career by Wendy Garcia, he ran third in the 2020 Mardi Gras Futurity here and went on to win the 2021 Evangeline Derby, and most recently, the 350-yard Sams Town Stakes at Evangeline Downs last December 16. The handsome gray stallion is now trained by Fernando Valdez, who gave an update.

"He ran really well in the Sam’s Town and is acting more like a 2-year-old than an older horse," said Valdez. "He had surgery to remove a chip after his 2-year-old season, but is working perfectly for this stakes."

The field, from the rail with riders and morning-line odds:

Hezaa Fast Boy (Rolando Cabrera), 7-2
TF Jess Me (Ali Rivera), 4-1
Denalia Sweet Jess (Raul Ramirez Jr.), 9-2
Jj Heza Fast Dash Jr (Ricardo Hernandez, Jr.), 5-1
Go Rhonda Go (Gilbert Ortiz), 12-1
RF Fast Dash N Jess (Arturo Alvarez), 5-2
One Fast Perry (Leonardo Rodriguez), 8-1
CW Fasttrack (Benito Baca), 15-1
Dianetoseparatefromu (Eleazar Hernandez), 10-1

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The stakes is named in honor of Mr Jess Perry, the acclaimed racehorse and stallion who passed away in November, 2017 at the age of 25. Bred by Jesse Perry, the father of noted Louisiana breeder and LQHBA Executive Director Emeritus Leverne Perry, Mr Jess Perry was voted 1994 AQHA Racing Champion 2-Year-Old and Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, winning 12 of his 21 career starts, including the 1994 LQHBA Breeders Futurity. Mr Jess Perry ranks third as a sire of All Time Money earners nationally and is one of Louisiana’s top stallions, with acclaimed progeny including Apollitical Jess, One Famous Eagle, Noconi, Matabari, Miss Racy Jess, and Mr Piloto. In 2019, Mr Jess Perry was inducted into the AQHA and LQHBA Hall of Fame.

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$5 Free Bet on Saturday, February 11 - Louisiana Downs Promotions

Club 74 members will receive a $5 Free Bet by swiping their loyalty card at the Racing Promotional Kiosks on Saturday, February 11. The Free Bet is valid on February 18 and can be used for live racing simulcast wagers, including the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star at Fair Grounds, one of the major prep races for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.

It’s free to join Club 74 with members enjoying promotions throughout the year. Every Thursday guests can participate in a Racing Point Multiplier. We will Flashback to 1974 with our Flashback Friday hot dog and drink combo for only $1.50! Drop your non-winning race wagers into our weekly Race Replay Drawings to win free play!

Louisiana Downs Post Times and Wagering Format

The 46-day Quarter Horse live racing season continues Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Saturday, April 1. Post time is 1:35 pm (Central). Exotic wagers include exacta, trifecta and superfecta, rolling daily doubles on the first six races of the card, Pick 3 wagers on the first five races of each card and a Pick 4 on races 4-7. More information on live and simulcast racing is available on lad.com.

Louisiana Downs Trainer, Jockey and Owner Standings

Through the first month of the 2023 Quarter Horse meet, Xavier Scott continues to top the trainer standings with eight wins. Jose Carrizales, Willie Simien, Jr., Justin Powell, Joel Huitron, Dale Keith and Hector J. Sanchez have each won four races.

Last year’s leading rider Ubaldo Luna is off to a blazing start with 11 wins and he and Juan Garcia, Jr. share the lead in in the jockey standings. Also in the hunt for the leading rider title are 2022 Evangeline Downs top rider Arturo Alvarez, Ricardo Hernandez, Jr. with ten wins each.

Fifteen horsemen are tied with two victories each in the owner’s standings, including last year’s top owner, Jose O. Barron, Robert Touchet, Luis Armando Castellanos, Zach Stevenson, C.B. Racing Stables, Laney Fowler, Mark Langford and Byron Crenshaw.

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Louisiana Downs Quarter Horse Stakes schedule:

February 11
$25,000 Mr Jess Perry (RG3) 4YO&up LA-bred. 350 YDS

March 24
$25,000 Billy Montgomery 4YO&up F&M LA-bred 330 YDS
$20,000-added LAD Maiden Classic 3YO& up 350 YDS

March 25
$100,000-added Mardi Gras Futurity(RG2) 2YO LA-Bred 300 YDS
$50,000-added Mardi Gras Derby 3YO LA-Bred 400 YDS
$50,000-added Mardi Gras Oaks 3YO F LA-Bred 400 YDS
$75,000-added Louisiana Downs Futurity(RG2) 2 YO 300 YDS

April 1
$25,000 Lip Chip LLC 3YO & up 400 YDS
$15,000-A. LA Starter Series Dash 3YO & up 110 YDS

2022 Quarter Horse Trial Dates
March 2 Louisiana Downs Futurity
March 3 & 4 Mardi Gras Futurity
March 10 Louisiana Downs Maiden Classic
March 11 Mardi Gras Derby
March 11 Mardi Gras Oaks
March 18 Louisiana Downs Starter Series Dash

LQHBA is the official authorized representative of the American Quarter Horse racing and breeding industry in Louisiana, the unified voice of quarter Horse breedings in the State of Louisiana for purposes of communicatting the advantages and rewards of breeding Quarter Horses in the State and for the purposes of a conducting and coordinating activities with breeding and racing agencies.