VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs closed out its race week on Saturday night with a pair of stakes races highlighted by the $369,405 Louisiana Laddie Futurity (RG2), which was won in dramatic fashion by Tony Doughtie’s Tdz Jet Black Down under jockey John Hamilton.
Tdz Jet Black Down, who is trained by Kenneth Roberts, Sr., came into the final of the Laddie Futurity off a winning performance in his trial, which he won by two lengths with the sixth fastest qualifying time out of 17 trial heats. In the final, he defeated the fastest qualifier Ed O by a head and covered 330 yards in a time of 16.691 seconds, which earned him a speed index of 96. Rf Apolliticalcookie wound up third, another neck behind the runner-up.
“It takes a lot of hard work to get this far,” said Roberts. “I thank Tony and his wife for giving me the opportunity to work with such good horses.”
The win by Tdz Jet Black was the second of this three-race career and the $184,703 first place prize raised his overall bankroll to $192,593.
Bred in Louisiana by his owner, Tdz Jet Black Down is a 2-year-old bay gelding by Jet Black Patriot, out of the Toast to Dash mare Miss Barton County. He was a $10,000 buyback at the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Yearling Sale in 2017.
Sent to the gate at odds of 7-2, Tdz Jet Black Down paid $9.20 to win,
In the other stakes activity on Saturday night it was Joseph Landreneau’s Soft On the Coronas who took the $50,000 Vinton Stakes for 3-year-olds competing at 400 yards. The Lanny Keith trainee defeated Five Bar Perry by a head with Game Overtime winding up third another half-length behind the top pair. The winner was ridden by Everardo Rodriguez.
Soft On the Coronas covered the distance of the Vinton Stakes in a time of 19.643, which equaled a speed index of 93. All races on the program Saturday night were contested over a fast track.
The win by Soft On the Coronas marked the third of his 10-race career. He earned $30,000 for the effort and now has a lifetime bankroll of $51,193.
Soft On the Coronas is a 3-year-old sorrel gelding by Coronas Leaving You, out of the Jess Special mare Soft Summer Jess. He was purchased by his connections for $11,500 at the 2016 LQHBA Yearling Sale.
Delta Downs will begin its sixth week of American Quarter Horse racing on Wednesday night with another 10-race program that begins at 6:15 pm CST.
For more information about the new 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.
