Delta Downs Set To Kick Off 2021 American Quarter Horse Season Monday

Delta Downs 2021 46-day Quarter Horse season begins with trials and a pair of exciting stakes races.

� Coady Photography

The 46-day meeting runs through July 31 and will feature live programs most Mondays through Thursdays after opening week, with the exception of two Friday and four Saturday cards during the season.

First post time each day will be at 3 pm. Central Time.

The opening week action will include two stakes races. The Monday feature will be the $20,000 Delta Dash ( see related story) for 3-year-olds and up competing at 250 yards.

The 2-1 morning line favorite for the event is Patrick Richardson�s filly Sheza Freighttrain T, winner of last year�s $329,000 Louisiana Lassie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs.

Tuesday�s headliner is the $50,000 Open Me A Corona Stakes (RG2) ( see related story) for older horses traveling 350 yards. The 8-5 morning line favorite for the race is Jason Richards & Michael J. LeBlanc�s mare Lifeinthefastlanes, who has won her last six races and eight of 10 career races overall.

Her total earnings stand at better than $390,000. The Jess Louisiana Blue daughter won all four of her starts at Delta Downs last year including victories in the $50,000 Vinton Stakes and the $277,000 Delta Downs Derby (RG3).

The first trials of the season will take place during opening week. On Monday the track will conduct four qualifiers for this year�s $25,000-added Old South Derby ( see related story).

Tuesday�s card will include seven trials for this year�s $25,000-added Old South Futurity ( see related story). The finals for the Old South Derby and Futurity will take place on May 31 and June 1 respectively.

Another important set of stakes races this season will take place on Saturday, June 12 when the track hosts the $75,000-added Louisiana Lassie Futurity (RG2) and the $75,000-added Louisiana Laddie Futurity (RG2) finals respectively. Trials for those races will take place on May 21 and 22.

The richest open-bred stakes races of the season will be run on Monday, July 19 and Tuesday, July 20 when the $100,000-added Firecracker Derby (G2) for 3-year-olds and the $100,000-added Firecracker Futurity (Gr. 2) for 2-year-olds are contested respectively. Qualifying trials for the Firecracker races will be held on June 28 and 29.

The racing season will wrap up at Delta Downs on July 31 with another edition of Louisiana Showcase Night, which features eight stakes races for Louisiana-bred horses and the richest race of the season, the Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1). Last year�s Lee Berwick purse set a record at $1,025,782. It was the largest purse ever awarded in the state of Louisiana regardless of breed.

Some of the nation�s top horsemen will be back at Delta Downs this season. Kenneth Roberts, Sr., who was honored with his first AQHA World Champion trainer award in 2017, will attempt to win his 10th leading trainer title at Delta Downs this season. Roberts was unseated as the top trainer at Delta Downs in 2020 by talented young conditioner Trey Ellis, who captured his first ever title in Vinton last year.

The competition for leading rider should be wide open this season as jockeys like Everardo Rodriguez, Luciano Duenez and Ubaldo Luna will be gunning for the top. Last year�s leading jockey, David Alvarez, will start the season on the bench as he broke his ankle recently at Sam Houston Race Park and is expected to be out of action for at least six to eight weeks.

Owner Rayne Knight won her first leading owner title at Delta Downs in 2020 and is expected to be in contention for the same honor again this season.

For more information about the Delta Downs Quarter Horse season visit the track�s website at deltadownsracing.com.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.