Evangeline Downs will close out the season with a night full of stakes racing.

© Hodges Photography

By Stallionesearch / Louanne Wainscott

HOBBS, NM–DECEMBER 17, 2025—The Saturday card at Evangeline Downs will bring the meet to a thrilling conclusion with a twelve-race stakes-filled program offering more than $2 million in purses.

Highlighting the evening are the $1,000,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity and the $307,955 EVD Futurity, along with a deep supporting slate that includes the EVD 870 Stakes, EVD Juvenile Stakes, LQHBA Breeders Oaks, Leverne Perry Stakes, LQHBA Louisiana Million Invitational Stakes, EVD Derby, LQHBA Breeders Derby, Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile, Derby, and Classic Stakes. First post is set for 4:00 PM.

The opener features the $25,000 EVD 870 Stakes, contested around the turn at 870 yards. One Fast Cajun leads the field as the 2-1 morning line favorite. The seven-year-old gelding has enjoyed a productive campaign with fifteen career victories, including a win in the Faubourg St. John Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Races and Aces Stakes, pushing his earnings to $306,800 for owners Darrin and Norman Ladner.

Sired by Heza Fast Dash and out of Cajun Rocket by Lion Tamer, the Louisiana-bred gelding is trained by Rene Saias Vidana and will break from post six with Ubaldo Luna aboard. Eight seasoned runners are set to contest the distance feature.

Race two brings together a compact but competitive group in the $25,000 EVD Juvenile Stakes at 400 yards. Dulce Rose stands as the even-money favorite after recording two wins and three seconds from six starts while earning $23,235.

Owned by Juan Luis Leon, the Dulce Sin Tacha filly was purchased for $25,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale and is out of Shazoomin Rose by Shazoom. Ramiro Aboytes-Suarez trains, with Jorge J. Garcia riding from post three. The short field of four is scheduled to go to post at approximately 4:25 PM.

The stakes action continues with the $131,000 LQHBA Breeders Oaks for three-year-old fillies at 350 yards. San Lorenzo Princess is the 7-5 favorite after winning two of three career starts and finishing second once, earning $120,692 for owner Rogelio Marquez Jr.

The Apollitical Blood filly is out of Princess of Torts by Corona Cartel, was bred in Louisiana by Darrell Williams, and was purchased for $40,000 at the LQHBA Yearling Sale. Juan C. Garcia conditions her to race from post two with Arturo Alvarez in the irons.

Race four features the $40,000 Leverne Perry Stakes, a 250-yard sprint for accredited Louisiana-bred runners. Tuckers Prize, the 5-2 morning line favorite, enters off a victory in the EVD Dash and has not finished worse than second in five starts this season. The nine-year-old gelding by Fast Prize Dash has amassed $418,190 from twenty career starts.

Owned and trained by Preston Jourdan, he will start from post seven with Ubaldo Luna aboard. A field of ten is scheduled to post at approximately 5:15 PM.

The fifth race spotlights the $50,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million Invitational Stakes at 400 yards. Usxpress is the 2-1 morning line favorite after a promising start to her career, posting three wins, two seconds, and a third from six outings while earning $34,935.

The Heza Fast Rogue filly, bred in Louisiana by Lester Colomb Jr., is out of Ec Prairie Mist by Corona Cartel and races for Blackmon Quarter Horses, LLC. Trey Ellis trains, with Juan F. Garcia Jr. riding from post three.

At the halfway point of the card, the $121,060 EVD Derby will feature the ten fastest qualifiers from the November 22 trial heats at 400 yards. Tempting Grace, the 2-1 favorite, has been flawless in her derby campaign with two wins from two starts.

The Tempting Dash filly is a homebred for Francisco Javier Garza, who also owns her. Luis R. Martinez Jr. trains, and Jorge J. Garcia returns in the saddle from post five.

Race seven presents the $144,000 LQHBA Breeders Derby, set for 400 yards. San Lorenzo Chrome headlines the field as the 6-5 morning line favorite. The Freighttrain B colt has won four of five starts, including the G1 $1,000,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity, and has banked $477,139 for owner Rogelio Marquez Jr. Bred in Louisiana by Charles Boudreaux, he is trained by Juan C. Garcia and will break from post seven with Arturo Alvarez aboard.

The eighth race features the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes at 350 yards. Mamma Im Leaving You is the 5-2 favorite after compiling two wins and a second-place finish in the G2 Lassie Futurity while earning $128,214. The Coronas Leaving You filly, out of Mamma Jamma Jamma by Apollitical Jess, was bred by Wiggins Acres, LLC, and is trained by Jose R. Espinosa. She will start from post nine with Noe Castaneda.

Race nine showcases the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Derby at 400 yards. Dropping Dimes leads the field as the 9-5 favorite following a strong campaign that includes a victory in the Treme Derby Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Delta Downs Louisiana Bred Derby. The Apollitical Blood gelding has earned $114,813 for owner Jaime Cardenas. Josue Ponce trains, with Jorge J. Garcia riding from post four.

The tenth race features the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes at 440 yards for older Louisiana-breds. Into the Grey is the 2-1 morning line favorite after capturing the HDJ Butler and compiling seven career wins with earnings of $227,190. The Sir Runaway Dash gelding, bred by Phatt Kat Ranch, is trained by Juan C. Garcia and will start from the rail with Leonardo Rodriguez aboard.

Race eleven brings together ten juveniles qualified from the November 21 trial heats in the $307,955 EVD Futurity at 400 yards.

Feenom leads the field as the 5-2 morning line favorite after delivering an impressive trial victory by one and three-quarters lengths to secure his spot in the final. The promising colt also finished second in the $183,000 Gillespie County Fair Futurity and owns four victories from his young career, with earnings of $62,150 for owners HEH Holdings, LLC., who purchased him for $46,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale.

Sired by This Is An Eagle and out of Zoomin N Celebrating by Azoom, Feenom was bred in Texas by Debbie Eller. Patrick L. Clemons trains the colt, who will break from post position two with Luis L. Vivanco aboard.

The twelfth and final race of the meet crowns the evening with the $1,000,000 LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity at 400 yards, featuring ten juveniles advancing from the November 28 trial heats, closing the season with Louisiana’s richest race and a fitting championship finale at Evangeline Downs. See supporting story.

The Evangeline Downs races can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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