News - Racing March  29, 2024

Fair Grounds Hosts Undercard Stakes On Closing Program


AQHA Racing Champion Open Me A Corona cruises to another stakes win in the $50,000 Lakeview Dash Saturday afternoon at the Fair Grounds.

© Lou Hodges Photography

NEW ORLEANS, LA—SEPTEMBER 3, 2016—AQHA Racing Champion Aged Stallion Open Me A Corona dominated the $50,000 Lakeview Dash Stakes Saturday afternoon at Fair Grounds Race Course in Louisiana. The Lakeview Dash was one of four undercard stakes on the track's closing Quarter Horse program for 2016.

Open Me A Corona drifted in, under jockey David Alvarez, as he won going away to defeat Lets Jess Do It by 1˝ lengths in the Lakeview Dash. Shades Of Buck finished a head back in third .

Saddled by trainer Bobby Martinez, Open Me A Corona covered the 250 yards in :12.963 seconds, a 98-speed index, over the fast racecourse.

"What can I say? To keep winning and do it by 1˝ lengths? This horse means the world to me. I picked him out at the sale and thank Tommy Hays- he's one heck of an owner!" Martinez said after the win.

Hays was referring to owner Tommy Hays who owns the 6-year-old son of Coronas Leaving Your in partnership with Charles Forbes, Jr. Bred by Natalie Montgomery, DVM, Open Me A Corona has won 15 of 19 career starts and the $30,000 Lakeview winners' purse pushed his lifetime mark to $882,758. He is out of the Mr Eye Opener mare In The Open.

Also conditioned by Martinez, Lets Jess Do It is a multiple stakes winning son of First Prize Perry from the Separatist mare Lets Separate. Noe Pena owns the 6-year-old bred by Easy Acres Performance Horses. Ridden by Alfonso Lujan, Lets Jess Do It picked up $10,000 to boost his mark to more than $172,000.

Adrian Huitron saddled Shades Of Buck, a 3-year-old Game Patriot gelding, for owner HR Roofing Company. C. Edward Taylor bred Shades Of Buck from the Teller Cartel mare Shaded In Sin. Also a stakes winner, he earned $5,500 for the effort.

Hesablackmagic, Royal Aztec, Game and Scoopies Leaving You completed the field. Fast Prize Denim scratched to race in the Mid City Stakes. French Oak Tree and Swingin Princess were also scratched.

First Prize Denim Lasts In Mid-City Stakes

First Prize Denim sustained a long drive under jockey Manuel Gutierrez to go wire-to-wire in a nose win over Heza Louisiana Dash in the $50,000 Mid-City Stakes(RG3) at Fair Grounds Race Course Saturday. Tm Dees Prize finished one-length back for third.

First Prize Denim (#8) outlasts Heza Louisiana Dash (#3) in the Mid-City Stakes(RG3). © Lou Hodges Photography
First Prize Denim kept his 2016 record perfect at 3-for-3 while completing the 400 yards in :19.653 seconds, a 103 speed index into a 4 mph crosswind. The son of Oak Tree Special entered the race off a win in the $244,430 Delta Downs LA-Bred Derby in July. The $30,000 Mid-City winners' purse brings the geldings earnings total to $319,256.

Martin Trejo trains the gelding for owner Double H Racing Investment LLC. Bred by Weetona Stanley, from the Fly Jess Fly mare First Prize Diamond, First Prize Denim has compiled at (7) 6-0-0 record. He also won the LQHBA Laddie Futurity(RG2) last year.

Multiple graded placed Heza Louisiana Dash races for owner T M Ranch and trainer Kenneth Roberts, Sr. The son of Heza Fast Dash, from the Mr Jess Perry mare Eyejesslovelouisiana, picked up $10,000 for second to bring his earnings total to $292,115. Jumonville Farms and Burnett Ranch is the breeder. Gilbert Ortiz was riding.

Juan Carillo, Jr. saddled Tm Dees Prize to his third place finish for owner Humberto Amaro. Two The Max Investments LLC bred the Fast Prize Dash 4-year-old from the Deefirst mare Call Her Dee. Ridden by David Alvarez the stakes winner earned $5,500 for his effort.

Heza Bell Perry, Icanonlyemagine, Ld Streakin N Leavin, Strong Guns and Heza Fast Wokatee completed the field.

Barefoot Beach Wins French Quarter Stakes

Barefoot Beach popped from the gate under jockey Manuel Gutierrez then out-lasted Toastin With Coronas by a nose in the $40,000 French Quarter Stakes Saturday at the Fair Grounds. Miss Mallard Struts finished two lengths off the leaders in third.

Barefoot Beach (#3) holds off Toastin With Corona in the French Quarter Stakes. © Lou Hodges Photography
Barefoot Beach completed the 330-yard task in :16.679 seconds, to earn a 96-speed index. The $18,000 winners' purse brings his career mark to nearly $58,000. Yoani Abreu saddled the Texas-bred for owner Samuel Martinez. Bobby D. Cox bred the stakes winning son of Ivory James from the Invisible Injun mare Babe On The Beach.

Toastin With Coronas, a homebred racing for owner/breeder Gene Cox and trainer Trey Ellis, earned $8,000 for second. John Hamilton rode the Coronas Leaving You filly out of Princess Toast, by Toast To Dash.

Adrian Huitron saddled Miss Mallard Struts for owner Jose Luis Perez Aguirre. Damian Martinez was aboard the Struttin to Beduino filly out of Miss Mallard, by First Down Jewel. Bred by Gerald Patin, the sorrel filly earned $4,400.

Jls Ms Politicaljess, Punctuality, Tac It Sassy, Fyre Fly and Cartels Fortune completed the field.


Courtesy Ses