Lassie Futurity(RG2) winner Gold Gun Z will head the first of three trials Thursday for the $75,000-added Delta Downs Louisiana Bred Derby at Delta Downs

© Hodges Photography

By H. StallioneSearch

VINTON, LA—JUNE 17, 2025— Delta Downs is set to host an exciting evening of Quarter Horse racing on Thursday, June 19, featuring three trials for the $75,000-added Delta Downs Louisiana Bred Derby.

Open to accredited Louisiana-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings, the trials will be run at 400 yards with the first post set for 6:15 p.m. CDT. A total of five trials will determine the finalists for the Derby, which is scheduled for July 12.

Among the standout contenders across the five trials are six promising runners in Races 3, 4, and 5, each boasting strong credentials and breeding.

In Race 3, morning line favorite graded stakes winner Gold Gun Z (2-1) will break from post 3 for owners Party Tyme Racing. Trained by Jose R. Espinosa and ridden by Noe Castaneda, the gelding by second-crop sire Gold Heart Eagle V, out of Cf Smokin Gun by Tres Seis, was bred by Slash Z Quarter Horses.

He’s coming off a solid second-place finish in the March 28 $110,000 Mardi Gras Derby and earlier lost by a nose in a Derby trial at Louisiana Downs. Gold Gun Z has won three of eight starts, banking over $231,000 while winning last year's Laddie Futurity(RG2) and a fourth-place effort in the LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity(RG1).

Also entered is G Amtrak B (7-2), drawn in post 1 for owner Fausto G. Mendoza and trained by John Norwood, Jr. Everardo Rodriguez will be aboard the Freighttrain B gelding, bred by Gerard Hebert.

G Amtrak B ran third to top runners San Lorenzo Jezz and Beleavin in a May 24 allowance at Delta, and owns three career wins from 11 starts, including a 92-speed index score.

In Race 4, graded stakes winner Hes Bold As Corona (5-2) figures prominently from post 4 for owner Asael Isidoro Charmin. Trained by Francisco Javier Bernal and ridden by Rolando Cabrera, the Coronas Leaving You gelding was bred by Salvador Olmeda.

With five wins from nine starts and earnings of $284,427, his resume includes a win in the Mardi Gras Futurity(RG2), the De Saix Stakes and a close runner-up finish in a 400-yard LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity(RG1) last November.

Joining him in Race 4 is graded stakes winner Uuzzii (7-2), who has also displayed class and heart. The Freighttrain B gelding is trained by Adrian Huitron for 2 Kings Racing, LLC and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco.

Bred by Darrell Williams, Uuzzii won the $100,000 LQHBA Louisiana Champions Juvenile (RG2) and recently won a Mardi Gras Derby trial in March before finishing sixth in an allowance.

In Race 5, graded stakes-placed Beleavin (2-1) stands out with a proven record. Owned by GIA Equine Center, LLC, trained by Kenneth L. Roberts, Sr., and piloted by David Alvarez, this Coronas Leaving You gelding is a multiple stakes-placed finalist, bred by Jo Baya Foreman.

He won a trial at Louisiana Downs in March and ran third in the Mardi Gras Derby final and was thrid in the LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity(RG1) last yar.. With $157,660 in earnings and a high speed index of 101, Beleavin is a major contender.

His chief rival may be Ace Trains R Forever (9-2), breaking from post 2 for owners Jorge Antonio Silva and Jose Carlos Lopez. The Freighttrain B gelding, bred by RJ Ranch LLC, is trained by Leonel Hernandez and ridden by Ricardo Hernandez, Jr.

A multiple futurity finalist last summer, he won a trial at Delta with a 90 speed index and placed in strong company throughout his 2-year-old season. His best finish was third in the restricted Grade 1 Lee Berwick Futurity at Delta.

The top ten fastest qualifiers from the trials will return to compete in the Delta Downs Louisiana Bred Derby final on Friday, July 12. Racing fans can expect a competitive evening as these talented Louisiana-breds aim for a spot in one of the premier sophomore events of the Delta Downs Quarter Horse meet.

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