Page 181 - January_2023

San Lorenzo Jet and Tha Duke in a dead heat for the win in the LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity-RG1 at Evangeline Downs.
Tha Duke and San Lorenzo Jet put on quite a show in this year’s $1 million LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity-RG1
at Evangeline Downs on Dec. 17. Both runners ran too well to lose, and as it turned out, neither runner lost. The pair battled
to a dead-heat, front-running victory in the lucrative 400-yard event.
Both Tha Duke and San Lorenzo Jet
broke as a team at the start. The runners dueled throughout as they settled into their own private match race. They raced to the wire together and were inseparable when they crossed the wire 1 1/4-lengths ahead of third- place finisher Masseto. They stopped the timer in :19.645 and earned a speed index of 94.
Tha Duke, the second-fastest qualifier for the main event, was sent off as the narrow favorite over San Lorenzo Jet. With Arturo Alvarez aboard, he captured his first stakes victory and improved his record to 7-5-0-0. The $332,500 winner’s share
of the purse increased his earnings total
to $382,870. In addition to his win in the
Tha Duke and San Lorenzo Jet before crossing the wire.
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE January 2023 179
Coady Photography Coady Photography