06/15/2018..DELTA DOWNS..VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted four qualifying trials on Friday night for this year’s $268,655 Delta Downs Louisiana-bred Derby (RG3), which will take place on closing night of the season, Saturday, July 7.
Posting the fastest time for this year’s Delta Downs Derby was Crown Horse Racing LLC’s Shesa Diamond Diva, who was ridden to victory by jockey Eddie Sanchez. The Jose L. Sanchez III trainee won the third trial of the night in a time of 19.546 for 400 yards over a fast track. That time equaled a speed index of 98.
Shesa Diamond Diva has now won four of eight career starts and has earned $278,221. The majority of her earnings came last year when she finished second to You Drive I Fly in the Louisiana Million Futurity at Evangeline Downs.
Shesa Diamond Diva is a 3-year-old gray filly by Struttin to Beduino, out of the Heza Fast Dash mare Sheza Fortune. She was bred in Louisiana by Paul C. Fontenot, Jr.
Listed below are the 10 finalists for the Delta Downs Derby in order of qualifying time.
Horse Jockey Trainer Time
1 Shesa Diamond Diva Eddie Sanchez Jose L. Sanchez II 19.546
2 Featuring Fast Jess Noe Castaneda Eduardo Morales 19.626
3 Second Down Leaving Manuel Gutierrez Robert Meche 19.690
4 Jrs Taylors Runnaway Jorge Linares Martin Trejo 19.690
5 Im Gone Reba John Hamilton Michael Taylor 19.706
6 Fabulously Black Donald Watson Kenneth Roberts, Sr. 19.722
7 Heza Jess Cuervo Damian Martinez Juan A. Carrillo, Jr. 19.737
8 Cant Catchacorona David Alvarez Kenneth Roberts, Sr. 19.766
9 The Cazador John Hamilton Michael Zingelman 19.818
10 Lil Biscuit John Hamilton Michael Taylor 19.858
Delta Downs will close out the night week of live racing on Saturday night with a special 14-race card that begins early at 4:30 pm. Each race on the program is a trial for this year’s $700,000 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1).
For more information about the season visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.
