OPELOUSAS, LA—DECEMBER 14, 2013—Separatist Firstdown ($3.60) bettered his own track record while dominating a talented group of two-year-olds in the $200,550 EVD Futurity at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino on Saturday evening.

Breaking alertly from post position two in the ten-horse field, the Separatist colt asserted himself approaching the mid-stretch marker establishing a clear lead that he would maintain to the finish. The official winning margin was 1 ½ lengths and the running time for the 400 yards on a track labeled fast was 19.292, lowering his mark of 19.373 that was set last month in his EVD Futurity trial. The speed index figure was a dazzling 109.

Winning jockey Martin Rubalcava stated “We (Trainer Isidro Flores and I) were very confident going into the race. He was very impressive in his trial. Tonight he was even better if possible. He broke quicker tonight and just pulled away from some nice horses. I never really asked him and only showed him the whip nearing the wire as he was looking down and I didn’t want him to try and jump any shadows.” When asked in the winner’s circle afterwards if he was one of the best horses he had ridden, Rubalcava, the 43-year-old native of Mexico City, Mexico said “Yes, the best actually, he’s very fast.”

Owned in partnership by his trainer and Oscar Canales, Separatist Firstdown received $100,275 for the victory, his seventh in ten starts this year. Out of the First Down Dash mare Shesa Firstdown Jess, he was bred in Texas by Narciso Flores and has now earned more than $280,000. He also won the Harrah's Entertainment Futurity(G3) and the Gillespie County Fair Futurity this season.

Im Carvin Waves closed strongly in the final 150 yards to edge out Mr Runaway for the runner-up spot.

Jaime Hernandez saddled Im Carvin Waves for Guerras Racing Stables. The Wave Carver gelding out of Ima Task Also, by Special Task earned $40,110 for his second place effort. Cipriano Vidana was aboard.

Mr Runaway is Ocean Runaway colt owned-and-bred by Gerado Medina Luna and trained by Jorge Lopez. The $20,055 third place check boosted his career total to $71,808. Mr Runaway is out of the Streakin Sixes mare Miss Kips Streakin.

Secrets Fly close finished fourth with Mauis Mountain Gone was next across the finish line in 5th, followed by Jess Shazoom Yall, Bedouin in View, and Cristata. My Glory Dash & Jess Spicey rounded out the complete order of finish.

As is the norm in futurities, all horses that qualified for the Futurity final earned part of the purse, ranging from 50% to the winner, down to 2% for the 6th thru 10th place finishers.

Racing wraps up for the 2013 Quarter Horse season with 11-race programs on Wednesday, December 18, and Thursday, December 19 with a first post time of 5:40 p.m. Central Time each evening.