Delta Downs will host the Louisiana Showcase, its richest American Quarter Horse program of the year, on Saturday, July 13.

© Coady Photography

VINTON, LA–JULY 9, 2024– Delta Downs will host the richest American Quarter Horse program of the year on Saturday, July 13 when Louisiana Showcase Night takes center stage.

The annual event is devoted to horses bred in Louisiana with nine stakes races during a 11-race card. The main event will be the $654,014 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1), which will be the 10th race on the program.

There will be a special early post time of 5:15 pm Saturday night.

The fastest qualifier for this year’s Lee Berwick Futurity is Eleazar Martinez, Sr.’s Jess Pretty N Black, who won the first of 12 qualifying trials on June 21 in a time of 17.663 seconds for 350 yards.

Jockey Jasiel Aquino rode the filly during her trial and will be back in the saddle Saturday for trainer Guillermo Martinez. Jess Pretty N Black was also the fastest qualifier for the $291,000 Lassie Futurity (RG2) in May but hopped at the start in the final, which cost her dearly as she went on to finish seventh.

Jess Pretty N Black has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite for the Lee Berwick.

The second richest race on the program is the $139,647 Delta Downs Oaks, where 2-1 morning line favorite Sheza Bye Bye will take on nine rivals in the 400-year showdown for 3-year-old fillies.

Owned by Israel Flores and trained by Leonel Hernandez, Sheza Bye Bye recorded the quickest qualifying time for the event on June 19 and finished a close second in the Delta Dash Stakes on June 1, her only other start of the meet. Sheza Bye Bye will have the riding services of jockey Eleazar Hernandez.

The $137,415 Delta Downs Derby (RG3) at 400-yards will also draw a lot of attention on Louisiana Showcase Night.

The 8-5 morning line favorite and fastest qualifier is Hoztile Takeover, who finished second as the wagering favorite in the $102,000 Mardi Gras Derby earlier at Louisiana Downs this year before setting the bar high in the trials for the Delta Downs Derby with a time of 19.705 seconds.

The Juan Diaz, Jr. trainee will give a leg up to Delta Downs leading jockey Ubaldo Luna on Saturday.

Listed below are each of the Louisiana-bred stakes races that will take place Saturday night.

Race Stakes                            Purse.                  Sex    Age          Distance
2    Louisiana Starter                $40,000    Open   3YO&UP            300 YDS
3     Flying Breed Stakes           $50,000    Open   3YO&UP           220 YDS
4     Live Oak                             $50,000    Open   3YO&UP           870 YDS
5     Flashy Hemp                      $50,000     LA       F&M 3YO&UP  330 YDS
6     Louisiana Juvenile              $75,000    Open   2YOS               350 YDS
7     Louisiana Classic (RG2)     $75,000    Open   3YO&UP          440 YDS
8     Delta Downs Oaks              $139,647   LA       F 3YO              400 YDS
9     Delta Downs Derby (RG3)  $137,415   LA        C&G 3YO       400 YDS
10   Lee Berwick Fut. (RG1)      $654,014   LA        2YOS              350 YDS

The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association will conduct drawings for five (5) college scholarships totaling $10,000 during the Louisiana Showcase Night program. Scholarship entrants must be Louisiana high school graduates or a Louisiana high school student graduating in 2024 and planning to attend a higher education institution in the state.

Those eligible may sign up at the LQHBA Scholarship registration table beginning at 5 pm. Registration will close promptly after the fourth race and the winners will be announced in the winner’s circle after the fifth race. All entrants must be present to win.

Delta Downs track announcer and simulcast host Don Stevens will be joined by renowned Quarter Horse expert Martha Claussen during the Louisiana Showcase Night program.

Claussen will serve as co-host, handicapper, and racing analyst during the star-studded night of racing.

Claussen has become a mainstay at Delta Downs in recent years on Louisiana Showcase Night as fans enjoy her racing expertise, excellent handicapping and engaging personality.

After Saturday, Delta Downs will prepare for its 2024-25 Thoroughbred season. The 76-day meeting runs from October 10 through February 22.

For more information about the season, visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com.

About Delta Downs
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation, is the premier racing and gaming entertainment venue in Vinton, LA. Named "America’s Best Horse Racing Track" by readers of USA TODAY 10 Best, Delta Downs features a six-furlong oval track, 15,000 square feet of casino space, and more than 1,500 of the most popular slot machines. Amenities include two restaurants, chart-topping entertainment at the Delta Event Center, and the FanDuel Sportsbook.

Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7; from Texas, take Exit 4.