Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeder Association

News November 28, 2024

Evangeline Downs Gears Up For 2018 American Quarter Horse Season

Evangeline Downs will kick off their 46-night 2018 American Quarter Horse Association on Wednesday, October 3.

� Coady Photography

OPELOUSAS, LA�SEPTEMBER 27, 2018�Live racing will return to Evangeline Downs in less than a week with the start of the American Quarter Horse season on Wednesday, October 3.

The 46-day meeting will run through December 18 and racing will be conducted on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule with a regular post time of 5:35 pm Central Time. There will be two special days of racing on Monday, December 17 and Tuesday, December 18 to conclude the season with an early post time of 3:15 pm Central Time.

Saturday, December 15 will be the richest night of the season with seven stakes races that evening featuring combined purses of over $1.5 million dollars. The $1,000,000 Louisiana Million (RG1), the $275,000-estimated LQHBA Breeders Derby, the $100,000-added Evangeline Downs Futurity and the $50,000-added Evangeline Downs Derby are the major events that Saturday night. In addition to those four major stakes races, the $40,000 LQHBA Invitational, the $20,000 Evangeline Downs 550 and the $20,000 Sam�s Town will be part of the highlight night of the meeting.

Trials for the Louisiana Million will take place on Friday, November 16, while the trials for the LQHBA Breeders Derby take place on Saturday, November 17. The following weekend will feature the trials for the Evangeline Downs Futurity on Friday, November 23 and the Evangeline Downs Derby on Saturday, November 24.

The champion jockey and trainer for the 2017 American Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs will both be returning to defend their titles in 2018. Everardo Rodriguez won the riding title in 2017 with 34 victories, which put him five wins ahead of runner-up, Damian Martinez. Kenneth Roberts, Sr. topped the 2017 trainers� standings with 30 wins, which was 11 more than the second-place finisher, Orlando Orozco, who had been the leading trainer in 2016.

Opening weekend of the 2018 season will feature two stakes races with the $20,000 Evangeline Downs Dash on Friday, October 5 at 220 yards for 3-year-olds and up. The following night, Saturday, October 6, will be the $30,000 Billy Montgomery Stakes at 330 yards for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds and up that have not previously won a stakes race.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more information on the American Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track�s website at evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs� Twitter handle is @EVDRacing and the racetrack is also accessible on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.

About Evangeline Downs
Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel is owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation, a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Boyd Gaming press releases are available at www.prnewswire.com. Additional news and information can be found at www.boydgaming.com, or evangelinedowns.com.

LQHBA is the official authorized representative of the American Quarter Horse racing and breeding industry in Louisiana, the unified voice of quarter Horse breedings in the State of Louisiana for purposes of communicatting the advantages and rewards of breeding Quarter Horses in the State and for the purposes of a conducting and coordinating activities with breeding and racing agencies.