Page 117 - December 2015

Opelousas Stakes
OPEN ME A CORONA
by Danny Camp
The assistant starter in the number one hole did a good job of keeping Open Me A Corona pointed and alert. The son of Coronas Leaving You was in the gates for the Opelousas Stakes at Evangeline Downs. The 400-yard event was worth a total of $50,000 and was contested on Nov. 14.
Saul Ramirez Jr. was aboard when the ground broke out from under them at the first jump. The 5-year-old horse gathered himself quickly and the farther they went, the farther they left the field behind. Open Me A Corona crossed the wire 2-lengths in front, stopping the timer at :19.752 for a speed index of 95.
Open Me A Corona now has an amazing race record of 11 wins with eight of them being in stakes company including the 2012 Louisiana QHBA F.-RG1 and a New Track Record at Fair Grounds for 250 yards. Winning with first place money of $30,000 in the Opelousas Stakes, his earnings now total $692,542.
The horse is owned by Charles Forbes Jr. and Tommy Hays. He is trained by Bobby Martinez.
Natalie Montgomery, DVM bred Open Me A Corona in Louisiana out of the mare In The Open, who has produced multiple stakes placed starters. Open Me A Corona is her highest money earner and only stakes winner.
Heza Fast Rogue (Heza Fast Dash-Miss Jess Rogue) took second place under Donald Watson for owners Brock Broussard and Jacques Borque. Kevin Broussard trains the colt.
Third place was captured by Shesa Dashingromance (Heza Fast Dash-Dash N To Romance) for owner Joseph Brignac and trainer Lanny Keith. John Hamilton was in the irons.
JLS Mr Bigtime (Bigtime Favorite-Psalmist), JJS Black Lace (Jet Black Patriot-Lethal N Lace), Bradys March Madness (Jess Louisiana Blue-Kokopelli Hills) & Runaway Dove (Sir Runaway Dash-Genny Lou) completed the field.
LQHBA Invitational Stakes
JESS BLUE INTRIGUING
by Tracy Gantz
Jess Blue Intriguing followed in his big brother’s footsteps when he captured the LQHBA Invitational Stakes at Evangeline Downs on Nov. 28. Four years earlier, his full brother Intriguing Jess Blue won the same race by a neck.
Jess Blue Intriguing was a little more emphatic about his victory, his first in his three lifetime starts. He blasted away from the gate under jockey Luis Vivanco. The result was never in doubt, as Jess Blue Intriguing won by three-quarters of a length in :20.011.
J.E. Jumonville Jr. bred Intriguing Jess Blue, while Henry J. Melancon Sr. bred Jess Blue Intriguing. Both are Louisiana-breds out of unraced Call Me Intriguing. The mare has produced eight winners from nine starters.
Melancon consigned Jess Blue Intriguing to the 2014 Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders’ Association Yearling Sale. Baldomero Araiza bought the youngster for $15,000. Jess Blue Intriguing races for Ezequiel Araiza, and Rodolfo Sanchez trains him.
Raul Ramirez Jr. rode second-place JRS Runaway Ego (Sir Runaway Dash-Egos Toast To Dash) for trainer Michael Taylor and owner Rosa Arellano Coronado. The gelding won two earlier races this year.
Whoop N Ride Racing LLC’s Zathuras Fast Dash (Heza Fast Dash-Zathura) finished third for jockey Saul Ramirez Jr. and trainer Bobby Martinez. The gelding finished second in his second start prior to the Invitational.
Completing the field were Agoutis Snowplow (Agouti-Elainas Snowplow), Cute Mic Jagger
(Oak Tree Special-Shannons Fame), Oak Tree Streakin (Oak Tree Special-Streakin First Class), Dashingpastya (Stoli-McM Sheza Fast Cutie), Swift 13 (Fly Jess Fly-Dash Lady Love) & MDA Sheza Festrocket (Jess Pop My Rocket-Sheza Shadow Dasher). Carry On Game was scratched.
Races And Aces Stakes
KR JESS HOPEFUL
by Danny Camp
The closest distance between two points is not
a straight line in racing, it’s down on the rail. Donell Blake knows that very well. He guided KR Jess Hopeful along the rail after leaving the number one post with a 20 mph tail wind in the 870 yard Races And Aces at Evangeline Downs on Nov. 21. The race was worth a total of $35,000. KR Jess Hopeful, a 4-year-old gelding, gave up the lead on the backside, but Donell encouraged his mount and they finished 3 3/4-lengths in front.
Stopping the timer at :46.091 to earn a 92 speed index and first place money of $21,000, Kr Jess Hopeful now has a total bankroll of $62,120 and a race record of 4 wins out of 10 races, winning his last 3 in a row.
Trainer Ray Robbins knew he had something special when he stepped KR Jess Hopeful up to stakes company for the first time and walked away with a picture in the Races and Aces.
Owned by R&R Racing Inc. and bred in Louisiana by Kenneth Roberts, KR Jess Hopeful is out of the 2005 mare Blankie who has produced 100% money earners from three starters. KR Jess Hopeful is her first stakes winner and top money earner.
Heza Fast Corridor (Heza Fast Dash-Classic Corridor) finished second under Ray Mayo. He is owned by Arkofa Farm and trained by Elroy Potts Sr.
Sheza Gamer (Game Patriot-Delafly) finished third for owner McGehee Horse and Cattle LLC. She is trained by Danny Mittag with Garrett Medina in the irons.
Keepn It Kool (First To Shine-Kool K. J.
TB), First Corona Prize (First Prize Perry-Raise
A Corona), Downtown Forrest (Beau Brummel Sa-Cece Chicado Classic), TF Corona N Passion (Too Tough To Catch-Pick Your Passion) & MCM Zuper Man (Heza Fast Dash-Oh Shez Zuper) com- pleted the order of finish.
Evangeline Downs • $50,000 400 yards • :19.752 • si 95
Corona Cartel
Coronas Leaving You
Lil Bit Rusty
Mr Eye Opener Ocean Memories
OPEN ME A CORONA, ’10-m.
In The Open
Evangeline Downs • $40,000 400 yards • :20.011 • si 88
Mr Jess Perry
Jess Louisiana Blue
The Louisiana Girl
JESS BLUE INTRIGUING, ’13-g.
Call Me Together
Call Me Intriguing
Ashleys Dry Dock
Evangeline Downs • $35,000 870 yards • :46.091 • si 92
Mr Jess Perry
Jess Louisiana Blue
KR JESS HOPEFUL, ’11-g Blankie
The Louisiana Girl Pritzi Dash Blanket Splitter
SPEEDHORSE, December 2015 115
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