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Louisiana Showcase Night Takes Center Stage at Delta, $602,705 Lee Berwick Futurity Highlights Card
Delta Downs will host the richest American Quarter Horse program of the year on Saturday!

Louisiana Showcase Night Takes Center Stage at Delta, $602,705 Lee Berwick Futurity Highlights Card

By Don Stevens

VINTON, LA–JULY 8, 2026–Delta Downs will host the richest American Quarter Horse program of the year on Saturday, July 11, when Louisiana Showcase Night takes center stage. The annual event is devoted to horses bred in Louisiana, with nine stakes races during a 10-race card. The main event will be the $602,705 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1), which will serve as the nightcap.

The first post time will be 6:15 pm (CDT).

The fastest qualifier for the Lee Berwick Futurity was Rogelio Marquez, Jr.’s Rdd Reason For B, who has been installed as the 7-2 second choice in the morning line. The Juan C. Garcia trainee will be ridden by Leonardo Rodriguez, who has been aboard for each of her three career starts. On June 19, she won the 10th of 11 qualifying trials with a time of 17.577 seconds for 350 yards.

The 3-1 morning line favorite for the Lee Berwick Futurity is Rene Perez’s Vigilanty, who is on a three-race winning streak, which includes a score in the $297,965 Laddie Futurity (RG2) on May 23. The Josue Ponce trainee will be ridden by jockey Victor Urieta, Jr., who was also aboard when he won the Laddie. A win on Saturday would add $301,352 to his field-leading bankroll of $165,383.

The second richest race on the program is the $131,287 Delta Downs Derby (RG1), where 8-5 morning line favorite Valiant Heart Z will attempt to win his fourth straight race. The Santiago Villaseca trainee, with jockey Jorge Javier Garcia in the saddle, comes into the race as the fastest qualifier from trials held on June 18. Valiant Heart Z is owned by Luis Armando Castellanos.

The $113,427 Delta Downs Oaks will also get a lot of attention on the Showcase Night card, as 3-5 morning line favorite Mamma Im Leaving You will go to the post under jockey Noe Castaneda. Castaneda will get a leg up from trainer Jose U. Lopez. Mamma Im Leaving you will attempt to win for the seventh time in 13 career starts for owner Jeantile M. Deville. Earlier in the year she took the Mardi Gras Oaks (RG3) at Louisiana Downs.

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

Race Stakes Race Purse Sex Age Distance
2 Live Oak    $50,000    Open       3YO & up.    870 yds
3 Louisiana Starter    $40,000    Open     3YO & up  300 yds
4 Flashy Hemp    $50,000    FM     3YO & up  330 yds
5 Louisiana Classic    $75,000    Open     3YO & up  440 yds
6 Nag Nest    $50,000   Open     3YO & up  220 yds
7 Delta Downs Oaks    $113,427   Fillies         3YO  400 yds
8 Louisiana Juvenile    $75,000   Open         2YO  350 yds
9 Delta Downs Derby    $131,287   C&G         3YO  400 yds
10 Lee Berwick Futurity    $602,705    Open         2YO  350 yds

The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association will conduct drawings for five $2,000 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 2026 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.

After Saturday, Delta Downs will close out its season next Thursday through Saturday, July 16-18. Post time each night is at 6:15 pm (CDT).

For more information about live racing at Delta Downs, visit the track’s website at www.deltadowns.com/race.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation, is the premier racing and gaming entertainment venue in Vinton, LA. 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 Delta Downs Sportsbook.

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