OPELOUSAS – Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino will offer purses totaling more than $1 Million dollars on Louisiana Showcase Night on Saturday, July 2nd. Now in its seventh year, this year’s event features ten stakes races including seven with a six-figure purse on the twelve-race program and has once again drawn most of the top Louisiana bred thoroughbreds in training including 2009 & 2010 La. bred Horse-of-the-Year Star Guitar. Owned by Evelyn Benoit’s Brittlyn Stable Inc. Star Guitar looms as a very short price favorite in the $100,000 Showcase Classic for three-year-olds and upward at the distance of 1 and 1/16th miles on the main track. Freshened since recording two victories over state-bred competition in February and March, the now six-year-old Quiet American stallion who is 17 for 23 lifetime with earnings of more than $1.23 million has been tabbed as the 4/5 morning-line favorite in the eight-horse field. Drawing post position #2, Star Guitar will once again be ridden by regular rider Corey Lanerie, currently the second leading jockey at Churchill Downs behind Julien Leparoux.

The D. S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity for two-year-olds at the distance of five furlongs shares the headlines for the 2011 edition of “Showcase” Night. The “Shine” (under various names) has been run each and every year that Evangeline Downs has been in operation. This year, as in the past few years, the “Shine” will feature a filly division in addition to a colts & geldings event. The Colts & Geldings division, which is the richest race on the evening with a purse of $131,800, will be the 9th race on the program, while the fillies will battle it out for a purse of $127,000 as the 7th race of the evening.

Speed is essential in horse racing, and especially so with the two-year-old division as they begin their careers in abbreviated sprints, and on paper the two divisions of the “Shine” appear chock full of speed will most likely be captured by the youngster who displays the most early speed. In all of the trials for both the Filly and the Colts & Geldings divisions, the winners all led most or all of the way while showing high speed and figure to employ similar tactics in the rich final.



In addition to the “Shine” divisions and the Showcase Classic, there are four other six-figure events as well as two $75,000 Stakes appear on the program. They include the $100,000 Showcase Sprint and the $100,000 Showcase Ladies Sprint each for three-year-olds and up and to be held at the distance of 5 ½ furlongs along with the $100,000 Showcase Turf for three-year-olds and up at the distance of 1 1/16th miles over the David A. Yount Turf Course and the $100,000 Showcase Distaff for fillies & mares three-year-olds and up at the distance of 1 mile & 70 yards on the main track. The Showcase Mile and Showcase Mile Fillies events are each for three-year-olds and offer a purse of $75,000. Also carded on the rich program is one starter race with a purse of $50,000 and two overnight events worth $40,000 each for a grand total of $1,038,800 in purse money over the twelve-race program.

Carded as the 7th & 9th races on the program, the two divisions of the D. S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity have approximate post times of 8:37 and 9:21 p.m. Central Time.

Here is the field for the $127,000 D. S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity (Filly) Division

1. Coteau Kitten Diego Saenz 7/5

1a. Money for Makeup Colby Hernandez 7/5

2. Secret Pal Tracy Hebert 2/1

2b. Effie Gerard Melancon 2/1

2x. Izzie’s Gold Shane Sellers 2/1

3. Evelyn’s Pal Sylvester Carmouche Jr. 10/1

4. Scott’s Truluck Trey Agilar 20/1

5. Magic Appointment Donald Simington 6/1

6. Tensas Salt Donna Peck 12/1

7. Coach Sunny Willy Lozano Jr. 10/1

8. Ida Belle Ray Hector Santiago 15/1

Here is the field for the $131,800 D. S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity (Colt & Geldings) Division

1. Lighter Fluid Colby Hernandez 7/2

1a. Masculino Corey Lanerie 7/2

2. Top Cat Boogie John Jacinto 8/5

2b. Courtesy Cat Diego Saenz 8/5

3. Chance Ide Take Jose Riquelme 20/1

4. Validfromthegitgo Shane Sellers 12/1

5. Papa Tough Donald Simington 10/1

6. Broadway King Trey Agilar 12/1

7. Expect Magic Richard Eramia 12/1

8. Zip Motion Willy Lozano Jr. 6/1

9. Sleek Ezeke Kevin Smith 6/1



Carded as the 11th race the La. Showcase Classic has a scheduled post time of 10:15 p.m. Central Time.

Here is the field for the $100,000 La. Showcase Classic

1. Snug Diego Saenz 5/1

1a. Heavenville Shane Sellers 5/1

2. Break Up Gerard Melancon 12/1

3. Star Guitar Corey Lanerie 4/5

4. My Star Runner Richard Eramia 4/1

5. Ide Like a Double John Jacinto 8/1

6. Candiano Josh Romero 12/1

7. Idefromthebayou Rex Stokes III 15/1