OPELOUSAS – Jockey Diego Saenz rode three different horses to the winner’s circle while Ours to Run defended its title during Saturday’s Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs.
The first stakes race of the evening featured Ours to Run, who defended her victory in the $75,000 Mademoiselle by winning the race once again over a game Our Millie. Ours to Run was sent off as the biggest betting favorite of the night at odds of 1-9 and covered the 5-1/2 furlongs over the fast main track in a final time of 1:03.48 to win by 1-1/4 lengths.
Snowball was sent right to the lead in the $75,000 Soiree by Saenz and she took that cue to lead every step of the way to pull off the 6-1 upset victory, finishing the one mile distance in a time of 1:39.69.
Snowball was bred in Louisiana by 4M Ranch, is owned by Tin Roof Farms, LLC, and trained by Sam Breaux. The 3-year-old filly is by Apriority and is out of the Value Plus mare, Inner Peace.
Saenz then made it back-to-back stakes wins on Louisiana Legends Night by coming through with a 3-1/2 length victory aboard Galaxy Thirtysix in the $50,000 Distaff Starter. The win was the second stakes victory of 2019 for Galaxy Thirtysix, who had previously won the $60,000 Premier Night Ladies Starter Stakes at Delta Downs on February 9.
Galaxy Thirtysix was bred in Louisiana by Gerald Averett, Jr., is owned by Arian Haxhillari and trained by Ron Faucheux. The 5-year-old mare is by Greeley’s Galaxy and is out of the Forty Won mare, Stang Thirtysix.
The first of two turf races on the program was the $75,000 Turf Distaff and Diego Saenz collected his third stakes victory of the night with Bermuda Star, who covered the one mile over the firm turf in a time of 1:37.19. Bermuda Star got first run on the pace-setting longshot, Mi Copa Rebosa, and then fended off a challenge from the 4-5 favorite, Is Too, to win by a half-length.
Other winners included Shang, who was sent off as a strong 3-5 favorite in the $75,000 Cheval, rewarded the faith of the betting public with a victory by one length over the 2019 Equine Sales Derby winner, Power Jet.
There was also another winner from last year’s edition of Louisiana Legends Night defending his crown on Saturday night and that was the 2018 Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year, Monte Man, in the $75,000 Sprint.
Monte Man had to overcome a slow start and rally five-wide on the far turn, but he managed to survive those troubles and win by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:03.48 for the 5-1/2 furlongs.
Monte Man was ridden to victory by Gerard Melancon, who was also aboard for that 2018 score. The 6-year-old gelding was the second win on the night for trainer Ron Faucheux.
The grass race, $75,000 Turf, provided one of the more exciting finishes of the night, as Mageez just beat out In the Navy for the win and denied Diego Saenz a fourth stakes victory. Instead, it was Roberto Morales who collected win number two on the evening, as Mageez won by a head and finished the 1-1/16 miles in a time of 1:43.27.
The final stakes race was the $50,000 Starter and the 3-5 favorite, Just Stormin, proved best after being headed on the turn by I Am Ready Again. Just Stormin re-rallied in the stretch and ended up winning by 1-1/2 lengths in a time of 1:45.40 for the 1 1/16 miles.